Morning Glory Muffins

Add a Morning Glory Muffin to your breakfast and you will rise and shine!  

Cook's Notes: Morning Glory Muffins are a throwback to the  land of the 60s. A recipe that combines the great taste with a chewy texture of carrots and the wonderful flavors of apple, raisins, coconut, nuts and cinnamon all put together in an earthy whole-grain muffin. Morning Glory Muffins are just the right kind of treat to start your day. Prepare the batter the night before and just pop the muffins in the oven the next day.

Recipe makes 18 muffins and was adapted from KingArthurFlour.com

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup raisins
• 2 cups white whole wheat flour + 1 extra tablespoon or 1 cup white flour and 1 cup whole wheat flour +1 extra tablespoon
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons Saigon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 cups shredded carrots (use a food processor for this step)
• 1 small Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced (small)
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• Optional: 1/3 cup wheat germ
• 3 large eggs
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons mixed with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a muffin tin with papers.
• In a small bowl, cover the raisins with hot water, and set them aside to soak while you assemble the rest of the recipe.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, spices, and salt.
• Stir in the carrots, apple, coconut, nuts, and wheat germ if using. 
• In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs, oil, vanilla, and orange juice.
• Add to the flour mixture, and stir until evenly moistened.
• Drain the raisins and stir them in.
• Divide the batter among the wells of the prepared pan (they'll be full almost to the top). Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture.
• Bake the muffins for 17-18 minutes, until they're nicely domed and a toothpick  inserted in the center of one of the inner muffins comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven, let cool for 3 minutes in their pan on a rack, then turn out of pans to finish cooling. Wrap any leftovers airtight, and store at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage.
  

Have a great day!