One Perfect Bite: apple sauce

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Banana and Carrot Muffins

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is an interesting recipe because no shortening of any kind is used to make these muffins. That, and the number and kind of fruits and vegetables that go into them, definitely make them a healthy way to start the day. Not everyone will enjoy these nutrient packed muffins, but if you are careful not to over bake them, they can be a nice addition to breakfast. They stale quickly, so if you have leftovers be sure to freeze them. The recipe was originally developed for Taste of Home Magazine. Here's how they are made.

Banana and Carrot Muffins...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 eggs, separated
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon grated orange peel
2 medium ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

Directions:
1) Grease or line jumbo muffin cups with paper liners. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2) Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl.
3) Beat egg yolks in another bowl until light and lemon colored. Beat in honey and orange peel. 4) Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in bananas, carrots and applesauce.
5) Beat egg whites in a small bowl on high speed until stiff peaks form; fold into batter a third at a time.
6) Fill two-thirds full with batter. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Yield: 9 jumbo muffins.