Monday, April 30, 2012

Whole-Wheat Honey Muffins

These were supposed to be carrot muffins.


I've been having a bit of a problem with my CSA carrots lately.  After a few days in the 'fridge (they don't fit in the crisper drawer), they wind up a bit...flaccid.


They're hard to peel once they get like this, and although they still have great "carroty" flavor, they have the wrong texture for use in salads or, really, anything else.

Except a puree.

So puree them I did.  And then I used them to make muffins.  I assumed the muffins would turn out somewhat like carrot cake or carrot muffins.  But the carrot flavor ended up being very subdued behind the copious amounts of honey that went into this recipe (1/2 cup of honey spread over 8 cupcakes, plus more for drizzling on top).

The more I thought about it, the more I decided that was a-okay.  Nothing makes a recipe more kid- and husband- friendly than when it's stuffed with vegetables, and they can't tell at all.  This recipe may have a lot of honey, but it also has a lot of carrots, egg whites, whole wheat, and fat-free Greek yogurt.  Which makes these muffins pretty healthy in my book, especially compared to the sugary cupcakes that usually pass for muffins out in the world.

I based my recipe on Cupcake Project's yogurt and honey cupcakes.  I substituted carrot puree for the butter and the Greek yogurt, whole-wheat flour for the all-purpose, and used three egg whites in place of two, whole eggs.

This recipe makes 8 cupcakes -- as in NOT a full dozen.

1/2 C honey (plus extra for topping)
2/3 C carrot puree
3 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 C whole-wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
 8 tablespoons fat-free Greek yogurt for topping

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix honey and carrot puree together.  Mix in egg whites, one at a time.  Stir in vanilla.

In another medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Slowly mix the flour mixture into the honey mixture until smooth.

Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full.

Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out dry.  Allow cupcakes to cool.  Just before serving, top with Greek yogurt and drizzle with honey.



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