Not every muffin has a story! A number of years ago, our friend, chef Urs, owned a fish shop/deli/catering business around the corner from where we live. The day I baked these muffins for the first time I thought “I’ll bet Urs would like to have one with his afternoon coffee”. Within an hour he was at my door asking if I could please bake some for the shop. Thus began a couple of years of Sunday morning muffin baking for his customers until he sold the business! His customers would phone and request a couple of dozen at a time so I would bake up extra orders during the week. They are good!
Makes 12 muffins
Preheat oven to 375 F. Prepare your muffin pans by lining with muffin liners ( I highly recommend parchment liners) or spraying with non-stick cooking/baking spray.
For the Muffins:
½ cup unbleached flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
1 cup oat bran
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar
1 ½ cups finely shredded carrots
2 large, tart apples, peeled, cored & shredded
½ cup raisins or dried cranberries
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
¼ cup canola oil
½ cup 1 or 2% milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
Make The Muffins:
Combine flour, oat bran, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. Stir in sugar. Add carrots, apples, raisins and nuts, mix together.
Combine oil, milk, eggs and vanilla, using a whisk. Make a well in the centre of the mixture and add the egg mixture, folding until just moistened. Don’t be tempted to over mix. Divide the batter between the 12 muffins cups (see below).
Helpful tip: Using an ice cream scoop makes things a lot easier. Place muffin pan in the oven and bake for 20 – 30 minutes. Test after 20 minutes by inserting a wooden skewer into the middle of a muffin to see if it comes out clean, if not continue baking for a few more minutes.
Enjoy with a good cup of coffee or tea!
