Oh-so-’70s muffins packed with fruit, carrots, comfort
From pumpkin to blueberry to caramelized pear, muffins come in practically every flavor imaginable. I first spied this particular muffin at a bakery in Berkeley, California, during the health food movement. I couldn’t decide if the muffin would be tasty, since it was full of healthful ingredients — carrots, coconut, raisins and nuts. Turns out, it was delicious!
The truth is, despite all the veggies and fruit, this recipe contains a lot of sugar. I haven’t tried making the muffins with less, but I bet you could incorporate less sugar and the muffins would still be satisfying, since some sugar is present in the fruit and carrots.
The story goes that these were first served at the Morning Glory Café in
MORNING GLORY MUFFINS
Makes: 12 muffins
2 cups whole wheat flour
½ cup flax seed meal
1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups grated carrots
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut 1 cup chopped pecans
1 large apple, grated
4 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon pure vanilla
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12-muffin pan with baker’s spray. Place muffin paper liners in each one. Set aside.
Nantucket, Massachusetts, in the late 1970s. They fell out of fashion with the introduction of French pastries like croissants. Never one to follow trends, I made these based on a recipe from Butter, a bakery in Canada. The baked goods received raves from my guests at a recent brunch I hosted.
Flaxseed meal is great for aiding in digestion; it’s another healthful inclusion to the muffin batter.
As far as I am concerned, Morning Glory muffins never go out of style. These are delicious for breakfast with coffee or delightful with tea in the afternoon. For a moment of pure comfort, split open a warm one and spread with sweet butter.
The muffins freeze well, so feel free to make a large batch. Defrost and warm frozen muffins in a 350-degree oven for about 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, carrots, raisins, coconut, pecans and apple; using a whisk, mix well.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil and vanilla.
4. Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until fully blended, making sure no flour streaks remain.
5. Use large ice cream scoop to divide the batter evenly between the paper-lined cups. The batter should come to the top of each muffin cup.
6. Bake for 35 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. Remove from the oven and allow the muffins to cool slightly in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.