Food Junta

Before I started using this muffin, I would become a raging hunger monster by 11AM, snapping at clients, making interns cry, etc. My breakfast just couldn’t last! No cereal, fruit, bars could keep me full until lunch (and allow me to wake up 17 minutes before I have to leave, and not be disgusting like bran muffins). Hence, I started developing these muffins, which riff on several recipes for “morning glory” muffins, mostly from epicurious.

I have altered the recipe until they maximize filling-ness, tastiness, protein and have a good mix of vitamins and fiber.  The shredded fruit and vegetables are key: instead of being full of sugar and air, these dense muffins are full of taste and fiber. In the morning, I grab two and sometime toast and spread peanut butter before running out the door. Most importantly, these muffins freeze beautifully, so you can make a double batch, freeze half, and have breakfast for weeks in advance!

MAKES 12 BIG MUFFINS

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp salt

1/3 cup sugar (I have significantly cut down on this because I don’t think the muffins need to be supersweet. You may change it back to the original 1 cup if you like. Also, sometimes I mix brown and granulated sugar for fun).

¼ cup honey

¼ lb carrots (you can use up to 1.5x this amount and it will be fine)

½ cup pecans/walnuts,  chopped

¼ cup pumpkin seeds/sunflower seeds

½ cup raisins

3 large eggs

1 cup plain yogurt (you can use vegetable oil if you’re trying to gain weight).

2 tsp vanilla

1 Granny Smith apple

Preheat oven to 350 degrees .

First, mix together flours, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, then whisk in sugar and honey in the BIG BOWL. Shred the carrots and apple in a food processor (see picture). You should have between 2 and 3 cups of shredded fruit.

Mix the carrots and apples into the flour until each shred is coated (see picture). Then mix in all the nuts, seeds, and raisins.

Next, in a separate bowl, mix together eggs, yogurt, vanilla. Pour this wet mix into the dry mix and stir them all together. Butter/oil/spray/put doilies into your muffin tin. Put the batter in each cup, just up to the rim of the tray (or pile it on if you like huge muffin-tops).  For a classy touch, put a full pecan on top of each muffin. Bake muffins about 18 minutes and test with knife to see if they are done. If not, keep baking until there are. Let cool a bit in tin before taking out.

Tags: Breakfast, muffins