Another weekend, another half dozen muffins – Carrot apple spice

We had a bag of carrots sitting in the fridge for weeks. They were sad looking carrots, getting a little dull, getting ready to grow and walk themselves out of the crisper, so it was time to do something with them. But I wasn’t sure what to do, J doesn’t like cooked carrots. I thought… carrot apple salad? Meh. I wanted to bake. I found a loophole in the “I don’t like cooked carrots” statement with carrot cake. (since really, who doesn’t like cake?)

My mom used to Morning Glory muffins when I was little, and those are the muffins I had on my mind. She and I had made them together a few times, and they always turned out moist, sweet and delicious. (and rarely lasted for more than a few days)

I got a nice little history lesson in the muffins origins while looking for the recipe. Everywhere I’ve read the recipe was originally developed by Pam McKinstry when she owned the Morning Glory Cafe on the island of Nantucket. I think my mom must have saved the recipe out of an old copy of Gourmet magazine in 1981. However, much like me, my mom never follows recipes exactly either, so she never used eggs for her version, just more shredded apples. In my adaptation I use ground flax seed and water instead.

2 cups grated raw carrot
1 large granny smith apple, peeled and grated
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup coconut
3 tbsp ground flax seed
9 tbsp water
3/4 cup  corn, or canola oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• I put on  of my baking racks in the middle of the oven, and preheated to 350 degrees F.
• Put the ground flax seeds into a small sauce pan and add the water, heat it up and keep stirring until it becomes thick and gelatinous. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, mix together sugar, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
• In a different bowl whisk the flax seed mixture, oil, vanilla together.
• Add the coconut, apple, and carrots to the bowl with the wet ingredients.
• Pour wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and blend together until everything is just moistened. (not too much or else you’ll end up with heavy muffins!)
• I sprayed the muffin tins with oil and filled each one with a 1/2 cup measuring spoon.
• Bake for 35 minutes (or until a tooth pick comes out clean)
• Let them rest for a while, and enjoy!

These are great for breakfast, and were even better the day after. I’ve seen a few places talk about icing them, and I think that would probably work great. I haven’t had much luck with making vegan icing (at least without using Tofutti cream cheese, but I’m going to try and make some later this week.