Oat Bran Muffins, with fresh & dried fruits

Our first prolonged snow flurries decorated the fallen apple leaves when I got up this morning, calling out for morning muffins. I had one ripe banana and decided to try oat bran muffins, with flecks of carrot for color, crunch of walnuts, sweetness of raisins and freshly grated apple. With a little help from maple syrup and apple jelly syrup (a failed jelly experiment that has been great for baking), these were even sweet enough for my husband to eat them without the usual dab of honey. If you use no oil, like I do, you will need silicone non-stick muffin cups. The combination of chick pea, brown rice, oat bran, flax and all makes for a nutritious vegan muffin without trading away anything at all in the way of texture or flavor or satisfaction.


OAT BRAN MUFFINS WITH FRESH & DRIED FRUITS

1/4 cup chick pea flour
1/4 cup brown rice four
1/4 cup potato starch
1/3 cup oat bran
1/2 cup sorghum flour
2 TBSP ground flax seed
1 TBSP nutritional yeast
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 TBSP maple syrup
1 TBSP apple jelly syrup (or use more maple syrup)
1/2 cup almond milk
1 mashed ripe banana
1 grated carrot
1 grated (peeled/seeded) apple
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup walnuts

Preheat oven to 400F.  (You will turn this down after a few minutes of baking.)

Mix all the dry ingredients (first 9 on the list).
Mix all the wet ingredients (the next 6), leaving the raisins and walnuts out for now.
Stir the wet into the dry, making sure you moisten all the dry into a thick spongy texture.
Now stir in the raisins and walnuts, saving out 7-8 walnut pieces to stick one in the top of each muffin.

Using a big spoon (serving spoon or tablespoon) put large blobs of batter into each non-stick silicone muffin cup, sticking a walnut piece into the top for crisping and decoration. Place these on a baking sheet and put into oven for 5-10 minutes SET THE TIMER!!  TURN DOWN THE OVEN TO 350F and BAKE for another 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool a few minutes before popping out of the silicone cups -- cool a few more before eating. ENJOY THEM WARM. They can be quite moist inside from the banana... but ought to taste fully baked, not undercooked. That crisped walnut adds an important element!

Breakfast/Snack Crunch Cookie

Fresh cherries inspired this crunchy, nearly energy-bar cookie-like breakfast treat. It has puffed kamut in it, but you could use puffed rice. The oats, amaranth and pecans all give textural and flavorful variety in each bite. I can't say enough about the silicone baking surface!

BREAKFAST/SNACK CRUNCH COOKIE

2/3 cup oats
1/2 cup pecan pieces
2/3 cup kamut puffs
1/4 cup buckwheat flour
1 cup brown rice flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 TBLSP amaranth
1 tsp cinnamon
dash salt
1 TBLSP maple syrup
1/4 cup almond milk
1 banana
2/3 cup fresh cherries,  pitted & halved

1. Mix together all the dry ingredients in larger bowl of 2 bowls. Mash the banana with maple syrup and almond milk in the other bowl. COMBINE WET INTO DRY, then add cherries and gently mix.
2. Place on silicone baking sheet on top of a cookie sheet in large blobs 2-3" across, flattened slightly.
3. Bake longer than you think -- about 35-40 minutes -- at 350-375F. Crisp on the top! Crunchy! Good later too...

(I'm going to try these with Ranier Cherries too!)

Baked Breakfast Crunch Cookies makes 8 Nutrition Facts Serving Size: 1 Serving (80g) Amount Per Serving % Daily Value* Calories 215 11% Total Fat 6g 10% Saturated Fat 1g 3% Trans Fat Cholesterol 0% Sodium 43mg 2% Total Carbohydrate 37g 12% Dietary Fiber 4g 17% Sugars 6g 0% Protein 5g 11% Vitamin A 0% • Vitamin C 4% Calcium 3% • Iron 9% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calories needs. courtesy of cronometer.com, using my data.