Carrot (Bran) Muffins

Despite having 2 cups of crush bran cereal, these have just a hint of bran to them; the molasses, brown sugar, and cinnamon add enough spice to hide it. And the apple sauce and carrots make these a deliciously moist breakfast treat. Good "first time" muffins too, because they don't tunnel (over stir) easily.

3 c AP flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking power
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbl cinnamon
2 c crumbled bran cereal flakes
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 c applesauce
1 c oil
1 1/4 c firmly packed brown sugar
3 c finely grated carrots (4 carrots, grated with a coarse microplane grater is perfect)
1 c currants

Heat oven to 350 F. Lube muffin tins or line them with paper.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together. Add crushed bran flakes.

In another large bowl (I used an 8 c measuring cup) combine beaten eggs, apple sauce, oil and brown sugar. Stir in carrots and currants.

Pour egg mixture over flour mixture and combine until just barely moist through the flour. There will still be some floury bran flakes, don't worry about them.

Makes 24 normal size muffins.

Bake for 20 minutes, rotate tins in the oven 1/2 way through (just like tires!).

adapted from Muffins: Sweet & Savory Comfort Food

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

1 c AP flour

1 c white whole wheat flour

5 Tbs low fat buttermilk powder

1/4 c sugar (brown or white)

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp all spice

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/4 c water

1 egg

1 Tbl vegetable oil

1 apple, peeled, cored, and diced

makes 12 standard muffins, or 6 jumbo.

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Grease a muffin tin well.

In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients together with a fork.

Separately, beat the egg in the water with the vegetable oil.

Toss the apples in the dry ingredients, pour the water mixture over the dry/apple mixture. Stir to just combined. Spoon into muffin tins.

Bake for 20 minutes. Cool for 5, turn muffins out onto cooling rack (or they'll get soggy bottoms).

side note: these are really good with some slices of cheddar cheese on the side. 

If you can't find buttermilk powder in the baking aisle of your grocery store, substitute 1 c yogurt and 1/4 c water for the buttermilk powder and water.