Spring is here! No foolin'! Here in New Mexico, March came in like a lion and went out like a lion, but there's no denying that plants are budding and spring will eventually rule out over winter.
To celebrate, I made a batch of muffins that are a little lighter and have some ingredients that I, at least, associate with spring. These muffins would be great for Easter brunch, and would be a good accompaniment to ham.
I started with my basic Manic Muffin Mix. Don't have any mixed up and stored in your cupboard? You should! It makes getting muffins on the table quick and easy. You can get the original recipe for the mix here.
To celebrate, I made a batch of muffins that are a little lighter and have some ingredients that I, at least, associate with spring. These muffins would be great for Easter brunch, and would be a good accompaniment to ham.
I started with my basic Manic Muffin Mix. Don't have any mixed up and stored in your cupboard? You should! It makes getting muffins on the table quick and easy. You can get the original recipe for the mix here.
Spring can be a little tricky for finding fresh local produce. The Farmer's Market here doesn't open for another month. So instead of fresh, I used two dried items that I picked up at Trader Joes: pineapple and coconut. Okay, I admit it: neither of these items are ever fresh and local here in New Mexico. But really, I don't need an excuse to pick these two items up. This coconut has no added sugar to it and it adds a nice crunch to the muffins.
| | The pineapple adds a bright spike of flavor and nice, chewy chunks. Whatever's left over in the bag are great for snacking. Because they're still pliable, I chopped the pineapple for these muffins on a cutting board using a bit of flour on the knife to keep them from clumping together and sticking to the knife. And what |
would spring be without bunny food? I added one carrot, shredded in my food processor, to the batter for a little bit of color and some added interest.
I added the chopped pineapple, coconut, and carrot to the dry ingredients and stirred them around. Coating them with flour this way keeps them from sinking to the bottom once the wet ingredients are mixed in.
Then I mixed the wet ingredients together in a 2 cup measuring cup before I stirred them into the dry ingredients. The batter will remain slightly lumpy, but make sure you don't have any pockets of completely dry mix left before you spoon it into your muffin tins.
Then I mixed the wet ingredients together in a 2 cup measuring cup before I stirred them into the dry ingredients. The batter will remain slightly lumpy, but make sure you don't have any pockets of completely dry mix left before you spoon it into your muffin tins.
To finish them off, I mixed up a topping of butter, brown sugar, and sliced almonds that I mixed up in the same measuring cup I had used for the dry ingredients. (no sense in making too much of a mess to clean up!)
I added just a little to each muffin by scooping it up with a spoon and sliding it onto each muffin with my finger. The topping made the muffins look pretty and added a little more crunch.
I added just a little to each muffin by scooping it up with a spoon and sliding it onto each muffin with my finger. The topping made the muffins look pretty and added a little more crunch.
Carrot Muffins
Preheat oven to 350.
Mix together in a bowl.
2 3/4 cup of Manic Muffin Mix
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup diced dried pineapple
1/4 cup shredded carrot
Add the following ingredients, which have been mixed together in a 2 cup measuring cup or small bowl:
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup water
1/2 oil
Line muffin tins with paper. Fill tins 3/4 full.
Topping: Mix together in a measuring cup or small bowl, then sprinkle over muffins:
1 TBS melted butter
2 TBS brown sugar
2 TBS sliced almonds
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
Mix together in a bowl.
2 3/4 cup of Manic Muffin Mix
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup diced dried pineapple
1/4 cup shredded carrot
Add the following ingredients, which have been mixed together in a 2 cup measuring cup or small bowl:
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup water
1/2 oil
Line muffin tins with paper. Fill tins 3/4 full.
Topping: Mix together in a measuring cup or small bowl, then sprinkle over muffins:
1 TBS melted butter
2 TBS brown sugar
2 TBS sliced almonds
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
