In the gardener’s calendar year, September and October are the busiest by far! My kids and I gather new foods from the yard every day. Summer squash, zucchini, and tomatoes are still trickling in. And by now the pears, apples, carrots, kale, and of course, pumpkins are pouring in by the bucketful! It would seem that with all this amazing food coming in, we would be eating really well. But as the main chef in the house, I can tell you that between canning the applesauce, tomato sauce, and spiced pears I am running on overload and it is all I can do to throw pasta into a pot some days. (Heck, at least they have homemade sauce to put on it, right?)
It was in the spirit of harvest days, canning schedules, back to school, and busy fall mornings that this recipe was made. It’s a full meal in a muffin tin! Enjoy!
Preheat oven to 350*
Wet ingredients (combine in a large bowl)
1 cup grated carrots (about 2 med carrots)
1 cup applesauce
1 cup grated zucchini
1 can (14oz) pureed pumpkin (or 2 cups of puree if you freeze your own)
1/2 cup golden raisins
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup dark molasses
1 tea vanilla
Mix well and set aside.
Dry ingredients (combine in a second bowl)
1 1/2 cup spelt flour (whole wheat will work)
1 1/2 cup unbleached flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
Mix these ingredients together in a large bowl and add in the (already mixed) wet ingredients to the dry.
Pour into greased muffin tins (or use liners).
Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when stuck into the center.
These are very good and very good for you.
** for a vegan option, replace the eggs with 1 tablespoon flaxseed and 4 tablespoon water blended into a paste for each egg. It works BRILLANTLY!
These muffins are spongy to perfection. They have a ‘carrot cake’ type consistency and flavor but are sporting all kinds of yummy sweet moments when you hit a golden raisin or a sweet bit of carrot. We ate half the batch for breakfast and then ate them again for snack that same afternoon! They are addicting. Enjoy!
What would you serve with these muffins?
