A Two-Fer: Apple Muffins & Pumpkin Berry Muffins

The last couple of weeks I've been in a muffin making frenzy. I made these muffins from Schue Love (of which I stole the above picture from because I was too lazy to take my own..thanks Natasha...or maybe I ate them up to quickly and no longer had muffins to take pictures of?) & some muffins that my friend Lauren has made for us several times of which I seem to instantly devour when they enter our home. I decided I had to have the recipe. 

And of course I made tweaks to them because it wouldn't be right if I didn't. Here they are:

Pumpkin Berry Muffins: The recipe calls for applesauce; I used pumpkin because I had an opened can in the fridge I needed to use up. Delicious and perfect for fall. It really paired nicely with the mixed berries (instead of blueberries) of which I had plenty of in the freezer. I also used agave nectar instead of maple syrup. I'm totally into that stuff these days. And of course I added chia & flax seed to the mix. Gotta have those Omega-3s!

Apple Muffins: See the email/recipe below. What I did differently than my friend Lauren was I of course added chia & flax seed, but I also only had one egg available so I just used the one including the yolk. They turned out a little less cake-like I think. I used tons of apples because we have so many that need to get eaten from when Lyle & Finn when apple picking a few weeks ago. I think I also used chopped pecans and toasted them a bit. That's what we had. This recipe would make for an awesome cake--you think? Ha!

"Hi Lauren,

    Here is the recipe I used for the muffins.  It's my mom's recipe for cake but I tweaked it.  I use whole-wheat flour, egg whites/beaters, and apple sauce instead of the ingredients it calls for.  I also add carrots and put extra apples in them too.  For the nuts, I usually use walnuts and toast them to give them extra flavor; I chop them up in the blender so they're not too chunky.  Hope you enjoy!"

    lauren

FRESH APPLE CAKE:

2 cups sugar                                        ½ cup salad oil

2 eggs                                                  1 tsp cinnamon           

1 tsp salt                                        4 cups of peeled, coarsely grated apples

1 tsp vanilla                                         2 cups flour    

1 tsp baking soda                                1 cup nuts

            *Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  To this, add eggs, mixed well with oil and grated apples.  Mix thoroughly.  Add nuts.  Pour into greased 9X13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 1 hour.  Enjoy!

Both of these muffin recipes are great for freezing. Keep a few out for the week, then wrap the rest & freeze for those mornings you need a quick breakfast or even a quick snack. They're super light and healthy considering the little bit of sugar that's in them (if you use agave nectar) & that there's no oil or butter. Let me know if you make them and how they turn out!!

lauren