#header-inner {background-position: center !important; width: 100% !important;}

Friday, July 19, 2013

Morning Glory Apple Butter Muffins



 I used to think I was a morning person, but over the past few years I’ve come to really appreciate my sleep. The 5 am wakeup calls Monday through Friday get old, fast, and I find myself fighting my way out of sleep more than I used to. Recently, I was in the middle of a dream that a giant (anaconda-sized!) snake had suddenly entered (I blame snake world!). As we encountered the snake, my alarm went off. Needless to say, that was one morning I was more than willing to get up!
Pin It
Another thing that helps rouse me out of bed? Awesome muffins like these! I kid you not, Ryan and I had to divide the batch and keep track of our own to ensure fairness in consumption…that’s how much we both liked them! I savored each one of mine, full of wholesome ingredients like flaxseed, whole-wheat flour, and oats, and sweetened by apple butter and carrots.
 If you’ve got to get up early, at least make sure there’s something worth waking up for!

One Year Ago: Corn, Avocado, and Tomato Salad with Honey Lime Vinaigrette
Two Years Ago: Rocky Road Ice Cream
Three Years Ago: Strawberry Amaretto Shortcakes

Morning Glory Apple Butter Muffins
heavily adapted from allrecipes.com
*makes approximately 16 muffins

Ingredients:
-1 cup whole wheat flour
-1/2 cup all-purpose flour
-1/4 cup ground flaxseed
-1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
-1 cup apple butter
-1 tbsp cinnamon
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp baking soda
-2 tsp baking powder
-1 tbsp vanilla
-2 cups grated carrots
-2 eggs
-1/4 cup coconut oil
-1/2 cup sugar

Directions:
1. Grease 16 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, apple butter, coconut oil, and vanilla.
3. In a large bowl, stir together the flours, flaxseed, oats, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in carrots. Stir in apple butter mixture, just until moistened.
4. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling about 3/4 full. Bake at 375F for 15-20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Allow to cool in the pans for 5 minutes before removing muffins and cooling completely on a wire rack.