Sweet Potato Muffins...

I've been rediscovering sweet potatoes as an adult, and this recipe was AMAZING!!! These muffins are definitely in the category of "best ever!" Enjoy!


Adapted from D. Madison's "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone:"

1/2 cup chopped dried fruit (I used a combination of dates and dried cherries (highly recommended), but candied ginger or raisins would also be really good)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup molasses
1/2 cup or less light brown sugar
1 cup mashed cooked sweet potato
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk (or soymilk)
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Mix eggs, oil, molasses, milk, and sweet potato until smooth. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, salt, and cinnamon until uniform. Stir in the fruit and nuts. Add the wet mixture all at once, and stir just until everything is moistened. Spoon into a greased muffin tin (I filled the cups all the way to the top and made big muffins), and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Applesauce Bread

Perfect for a chilly autumn evening...

2 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 heaping tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 (or a little less) cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup applesauce
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp milk
1 1/2 tbsp molasses
1/2 chopped nuts
1 cup raisins

Combine the first 7 ingredients in a bowl, stirring well. In a seperate bowl, beat the eggs, and then add the applesauce, oil, vanilla, milk, and molasses, whisking to mix well. Fold the liquid mixture into the dry mixture, and stir until just mixed. Fold in the nuts and raisins.

Pour into a greased breadpan and bake for 50 minutes or 1 hour, or until knife inserted comes out clean. Serve warm with a little butter.

Apple Banana Muffins

Really moist, really good...

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup wheat bran
1 Tbsp baking powder
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup agave nectar
2 bananas, mashed
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 cup soymilk
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 medium apple, diced

In a large bowl, combine flours, bran, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. In another bowl, mash the bananas, then beat in the eggs, agave, oil, and milk. Fold the wet mixture into the dry mixture until just mixed. Then stir in the nuts and apple chunks. Bake at 350F for 18 minutes.

Fruit, Nut, and Chocolate Scones

These were super super good. Highly recommended!! I ate so many of these that I didn't have much appetite for dinner (oops)!

1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup cold butter
1/3 cup chopped dates
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 1/4 cup soymilk

Mix flours, baking powder, salt, sugar, and cinnamon in a large bowl until well combined. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry blender or a fork until the mixture is crumbly. Stir in the fruit, nuts, and chocolate. Add the milk gradually, until the mixture comes together to form a slightly sticky dough. Drop by large spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400F for 15 minutes or until golden.

Alternatively, after forming the dough, press it out into a circle, about 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 8-10 wedges. Brush each edge with milk or a little melted butter and dust with cinnamon and sugar. Bake until golden.

Apricot Nut Muffins

1 cup dried apricots, chopped
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups white flour
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup canola oil
1/3 cup agave nectar or honey
1/3 cup soymilk or milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans or almonds)
1/2 tsp orange rind (optional)

Combine apricots and water in small saucepan, bring to boil, then let simmer for 10 minutes. Let cool. Drain the apricots and in a separate bowl reserve the water the apricots were cooked in.

In a large bowl, combine salt, flours, and baking powder. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, then add oil, agave, soymilk, vanilla, and the water the apricots were cooked in, mixing well. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir until just mixed. Fold in the apricots and the nuts.

Pour the batter into a greased muffin tin and bake at 350F for 18-20 minutes. Makes 12-15 muffins.

Variation: For Apricot Nut Sweetbread, pour batter into greased breadpan and bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Bran Muffins

Bran muffins, Evan-tested and approved!

1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/3 cups wheat bran
1 Tbsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg (or substitute 2.5 tsp pumpkin pie spice for all spices)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup molasses (preferably blackstrap)
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 cup soymilk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup raisins
optional: chopped walnuts, diced apple, chopped dates, etc.)

In a large bowl combine flour, wheat bran, baking powder, spices, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, then add agave, molasses, oil, soymilk, vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients, and stir until mixed evenly. Fold in raisins/nuts, etc.

Divide mixture evenly into greased muffin tin, and bake in a preheated 350F oven for 18 minutes (or until firm to the touch).