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Glorious Morning Muffins

Source of Recipe

From "The Harvest Baker" by Ken Haedrich


Recipe Introduction

"This is my take on the popular 'morning glory' muffin, countless variations of which you've probably encountered over the years. In case you haven't, the basic idea is a wholesome carrot cake-like muffin with a laundry list of add-ins, from crushed pineapple to nuts and everything in between. It's a delicious way to start the day, and because they're substantial, one of these with your coffee will hold you over till lunch. They freeze beautifully, so I seal mine two at a time in quart-size freezer bags and take them out the night before I serve them for breakfast. Warm them up, split them, and top with yogurt. This makes a big batch because you'll want extras. Use a second pan or ramekins for the extra batter."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ Butter for the muffin pan
â—¦ 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
â—¦ 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
â—¦ ½ cup granulated sugar
â—¦ ½ cup packed light brown sugar
â—¦ 2 teaspoons baking powder
â—¦ 1 teaspoon baking soda
â—¦ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
â—¦ 1 teaspoon salt
â—¦ 3 large eggs
â—¦ ½ cup vegetable oil
â—¦ ½ cup buttermilk or plain yogurt
â—¦ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
â—¦ 1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, including the juice
â—¦ ½ cup finely diced peeled apple
â—¦ ½ cup dark or golden raisins
â—¦ ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
â—¦ ¼ cup flaked sweetened coconut (optional)
â—¦ 2 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger
â—¦ 1 ½ cups grated carrots


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 375° F.
Butter a standard-size 12-cup muffin pan plus 2 or 3 additional cups of roughly the same size. I usually use ramekins.

Combine the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk well to combine.

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs until lightly beaten. Whisk in the oil, buttermilk, and vanilla. Stir in the can of pineapple. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the liquid mixture. Mix until everything is just dampened and only a few dry streaks remain; then fold in the apple, raisins, walnuts, coconut (if using), and ginger. Fold in the carrots and stir just until the batter is evenly mixed.

Divide the batter evenly among the cups. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn the heat down to 350° F and bake about 20 minutes more, until the muffins are golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Transfer the muffins to a cooling rack and cool in the pan for 5 minutes.

Remove the muffins, and continue to cool on the rack, bottoms facing up. Serve warm if possible. Store leftovers in plastic freezer bags. Refrigerate what you'll eat within a couple of days, and freeze the rest. Reheat muffins, wrapped in foil, in a 300° F oven for 15 minutes if they're frozen, 7 to 10 minutes if they've been refrigerated.

Makes about 15 muffins