Morning Glory Muffins

It's band camp week for our fourteen-year old.  Five straight days of "nine-to-five marching band instruction torture," as my daughter puts it.  Don't get me wrong - she adores being in band.  She has played trumpet in the middle school band for three years.  As she enters high school (OMG!) this year, she transitions to marching band.  So, mean old mom I made her participate in this week's band camp so that she'd be highly prepared for playing at the first football game next month.  Plus, I figured she'd enjoy reuniting with school friends and would maybe get off of this "I'm so bored, mom" kick!  You're bored?  Go to band camp.  Problem solved.  (For five days anyways.)

Her issue with going to camp is that she is HATING getting up early.  Heaven forbid I disturb her sleep-until-eleven summer break routine, right?  (Oh, the horror!)

Actually, I jest.  I joke.  She's a fabulous kid and I know she's been having fun at camp.  (Perhaps she'll live.)

Today was Day 2 of camp.  I made these muffins last night so she could take some along with her this week to munch on during her breaks.  Plus, these are my favorite muffins.  My mom made them for me all through high school to take along to my all-day volleyball tournaments and for my play rehearsals. 

(Ahhh ... I love when life comes full-circle, don't you?)

If you've never made Morning Glory Muffins, you're in for a real treat!  They are loaded with fabulous things like, carrots, apples, oats, coconut, nuts (if desired) and dried fruit.  When it's in season, I add in zucchini, too.  The muffins are beautifully flavored with cinnamon, ground ginger, brown sugar and a touch of molasses.  I substitute applesauce for part of the oil in my mom's recipe to help cut the fat little.  And, I often use whole wheat flour in place of half of the all-purpose flour.

These have just the right amount of sweetness and a dense, chewy texture.  They keep ya full until lunch.  They are great to take on the go for snacking and they travel well on road trips.

Yields 14 muffins.


Ingredients:

Non-stick spray
1/2 cup oats (I prefer old-fashioned)
1 1/2 cups flour (just whole wheat, just all-purpose or a combination of the two)
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup coconut
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
1/2 teaspoons salt
1 apple, cored and grated
2 cups grated carrots (I use half carrots and half zucchini)
3 eggs
2/3 cup vegetable or canola oil (can substitute all or half with applesauce)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons molasses
1/2 cup dried fruit (I prefer raisins, but cherries or cranberries would work)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)


Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a twelve-well muffin tin with non-stick spray.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, coconut, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and ground ginger.

Add in the grated carrots, apples and zucchini (if using).

Stir to coat and combine.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, applesauce, vanilla and molasses.  Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

Add in dried fruit(s) and nuts, if using.  Stir to incorporate.

Fill muffin wells 3/4 full.  Bake for 18 - 20 minutes or until center is set.

Remove from oven.  Run a knife around the edges of the muffins.  Transfer muffins to a cooling rack. 

Bake off the two remaining muffins.  Be sure to re-coat the wells you will use again with non-stick spray.

Allow muffins to completely cool.  Store in an airtight container for up to a week.  The muffins can, also, be frozen.

NOTE:  I soak my raisins in a little water while I prepare the rest of the recipe.  This will soften them a bit.  Doing so will yield a more-juicy and more-tender raisin within the muffins.  Just be sure to drain out the soaking liquid prior to adding the raisins to the batter.