Morning Glory Muffins

Version Française Ici

Breakfast time in our home looks like a storm is happening. Our 3 kids are already very active in the morning and of course, everybody is in a hurry. I always find mornings to be difficult. My energies are stronger in the evening. That’s why I mostly plan, prepare and if possible cook breakfast in the evening for the following day. Though more often than not I lack time to prepare food we really like to have for breakfast.

I don’t really like the idea of keeping really "good for you" breakfasts for week-ends. We need as much energy if not more during week-days. With the boys growing up and developing an ever impressive appetite, I ended up collecting practical, and more importantly healthy recipes for fast paced mornings.

These Morning Glory Muffins are part of my "week-days breakfast arsenal". They are packed with carrots and contain apples among other vitamin and mineral rich ingredients. I prepare them in the afternoon so we have them as a snack and I keep some to enjoy the following morning.

You can half the recipe if you wish, though these freeze beautifully which is a good thing for future really hectic mornings.

This recipe is from the “Morning Glory Café” in Nantucket Island. It has been published in the “Gourmet” magazine, then more recently in the “Gourmet Cookbook”. The original list of ingredients asks for 1 cup chopped pecans. I had to substitute dried fruits to comply with my kid’s school regulation regarding allergies (no nuts allowed) since they occasionally are part of my sons' snack box to enjoy at the 10 AM recess.


Morning Glory Muffins

4 cups all purpose flour
2.5 cups sugar
4 teaspoons baking soda
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups (550 g) shredded carrots (use the food processor)
2 granny smith apples, shredded
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped dried fruits (I used cranberries and kiwis) or chopped pecans
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
6 large eggs
2 cups vegetable oil (I use sunflower oil)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350ºF (175ºC) and prepare muffin tins by greasing them or lining them with paper cups.

In a large bowl, mix well togther the first 11 ingredients.

In an other bowl, whisk together eggs, oil and vanilla extract.

Pour the eggs/oil mixture on the flour/fruits/carrots mixture and stir just enough to moisten the dry ingredients combine. Over-working the batter affects the quality of the finished muffins.

Spoon batter in prepared tins filling them up to the rim. Cook in batches for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Allow to cool on a wire rack.