Food

By Kate McCarthy

Photography: Neil Wysocki

It’s time for your muffin to have a make-over! Most store-bought varieties don’t offer what you really want – good taste and wholesome ingredients. Instead, the plastic-packed variety offers little more than white flour, oil and refined sugar. They do however offer the convenience of a ready-made muffin.

For the best of all worlds – convenience, taste and nutrition – there is an alternative: A homemade muffin that is packed with whole ingredients, low in fat and easily adaptable. In this recipe, a blend of whole wheat and quinoa flour offers loads of fiber and protein, while incorporating white flour for that luscious texture. Rather than relying on oil for moisture, apples take center stage. Honey provides a whole food substitute for white sugar and goji berries add a powerful antioxidant punch.

The result is a light and moist muffin that will make your taste buds dance while giving your body the energy it needs to go the extra mile.

Sunrise Muffins

adapted from a recipe by nutritionist Rebecca Sutherland

Makes 12 regular-sized muffins

1 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup white flour

1/4 cup quinoa flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

3/4 cup dried goji berries or raisins

1 large egg

2 egg whites

1 cup buttermilk (you can also use ?regular milk, curdled by adding 1 tablespoon of cider vinegar)

1 cup honey

1 cup grated apple

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the baking rack in the middle of the oven.

In a medium bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, white flour, quinoa flour, baking powder, salt, spices and dried fruit.

In a large bowl, lightly beat the egg and egg whites. Add the milk, honey, grated apple and vanilla. Mix. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

Line your muffin tin with paper muffin cups. Plop the batter into your muffin tins, just below the edge of the paper cup. Bake until light golden, about 15 minutes. To test doneness, insert a wooden toothpick into the middle of a muffin. If it comes out dry, it is ready!

Cool the muffins on a cooling rack and enjoy. If you like, seal them in a bag and throw them in the freezer for later. You can take them out, one at a time, as needed for packed lunches.

For the convenience of store-bought muffins…

Try making a master-mix. A master-mix is a prepared blend of dry ingredients, kept in an airtight container. Think store-bought muffin mix, only homemade. Here’s how:

Multiply the dried ingredients by five (5 cups whole wheat flour, 3 3/4 cups white flour, 1 1/4 cup quinoa flour, 5 tablespoons baking powder, 2 1/2 teaspoons salt, 10 teaspoons cinnamon, 5 teaspoons ground ginger, 2 1/2 teaspoons grated nutmeg and 3 3/4 cups dried fruit). You are now looking at a master-mix.

Anytime you want to whip up a quick batch of muffins, all you need to do is combine 2 3/4 cups, plus 2 tablespoons of master-mix with your wet ingredients.

For a locally sourced twist…

If you live on the West Coast, consider using locally grown apples; Granny Smiths or Macintosh work wonderfully.

If you live in the Central Plains, try using sunflower seeds instead of berries. You can also use cornmeal instead of quinoa flour.

If you live in the Eastern regions of Canada or the States, maple syrup makes a fine substitute for honey. If there are cranberries in your region, try them instead of raisins or goji berries.

If you live in the Southern states, add a little local orange or lemon zest to the wet ingredients.