1.25.2009

sunrise carrot muffins

well hello there. I've been a bad food blogger. I've baked and cooked and prepared many dishes that I've photographed then just not had the time to post on here. I know I know, it's like I'm hiding something for you. but these were so good I had to make time after my Sunday morning breakfast to share them with you.
for Christmas, dlb got me this amazing cookbook, Baking with Agave Nectar. ever since I read about it on 101 Cookbooks, I've been coveting it. I'm always on a mission to use less sugar and usually cut the amount of sugar in recipes, so the idea of baking with an alternative to sugar was so appealing to me. you can find agave nectar in the baking section near maple syrup and sugars in a natural foods store. I love it as an alternative to maple syrup on waffles or in place of honey in my oatmeal.
one of the main reasons I love this recipe is because of all of the nutritious things in it. fruits, nuts, veggies and spices, all packed into a wonderful vegan recipe that's just the right amount of sweet. you'll find them disappearing before the day is over.
Sunrise Carrot Muffins
adapted from Baking with Agave Nectar by Ania Catalano
makes 16 muffins

:: for muffins ::
1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 cup ground flaxseeds
1/2 cup dried mango, chopped into small pieces*
12 ounces firm silken tofu
1/4 cup canola oil
2/3 cup agave nectar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup grated carrots {about 3 small carrots or one giant carrot}
1 apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

* the original recipe called for raisins, but I have some amazing dried mangos that I brought back from a recent trip to the Philippines. so unless you can find really soft, plump dried mangos, I'd suggest using golden raisins or dried apricots.

• preheat the over to 350 degrees. line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.
• stir together the flours, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. mix in the flaxseeds and dried fruit.
• place tofu, canola oil, agave nectar and vanilla in a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy, about 1 to 2 minutes.
• add the tofu mixture to the flour mixture and combine well.
• fold in carrots, apple and walnuts.
• spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups and bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• remove from muffin pan and cool on a rack.

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10 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm intrigued by the tofu in these muffins. I love trying out new ingredients in baking. You have totally piqued my interest. I can't wait to see what else you have in store for us, Alyson...

January 25, 2009 at 11:57 AM  
Blogger kickpleat said...

hmmm, what's firm silken tofu? i thought silken was soft tofu? the muffins do sound good though, and i do use agave nectar for a lot of things but haven't tried baking with it yet!

January 25, 2009 at 8:25 PM  
Blogger Julia said...

yum! these sound so good. i've been meaning to try baking with agave nectar, so this will be a great excuse (and they sell it in bulk at my coop!)

January 26, 2009 at 8:28 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

///mec/// is so polished and lovely! and the recipes... sigh... launched my own food blog earlier this week, and would love for you to pop in some time!

cheers,

*heather*
http://squirrelbread.wordpress.com

January 27, 2009 at 9:42 AM  
Blogger Cannelle Et Vanille said...

these must be the healthiest and best looking muffins i have ever seen! love the photos too!

January 27, 2009 at 10:36 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

wow, tofu AND agave nectar? i have to try these! love your blog design; everything is so cute!

February 5, 2009 at 12:57 PM  
Blogger Gina said...

these sound delicious! i made bananaa muffins w/ agave syrup and they came out excellent.

I'm wondering what i could substitute in for the tofu though? milk or yogurt maybe? if so how much do you think ? :)

February 7, 2009 at 6:19 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

those look amazing. yum.

February 19, 2009 at 12:48 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Really beautifully shot.
Very edible-looking.

Will-be-trying-these.

March 17, 2009 at 8:55 AM  
Blogger Creative Classroom Core said...

What a great breakfast to wake up to! These sound amazing. Thanks for sharing!

March 28, 2009 at 2:08 PM  

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