Remember that episode of Seinfeld where Elaine’s boss opens a muffin top restaurant? If I am losing you here, I apologize. It was called “Top of the Muffin!” and was built on Elaine’s idea that many people prefer the muffin top part of the muffin and none of the bottom. In the show, Newman’s eating prowess is employed to eat all the bottoms of the muffins, but I’ve got a recipe to make that unnecessary.
Awhile ago someone told me you can deliberately bake muffin tops, just like you would cookies, on a well-greased or parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. R and I experimented yesterday and I am happy to report our muffin tops were quite the hit.
You can use almost any muffin recipe to bake muffin tops, but the denser (read: more fillings) the batter, the better. So we settled on using a Morning Glory Muffin recipe that really suited making muffin tops. This recipe can also be used to create traditional muffins, but I have to say, after trying and tasting these muffin tops, I am a convert.
So on this St. Patrick’s Day, “top of the muffin to you!”
Morning Glory Muffin Tops
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 egg whites
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups pre-shredded carrots
1 apple - peeled, cored, and chopped
1 cup raisins
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Finely chop the carrots and apple. A food processor can do this very quickly, but a knife and cutting board can do the trick too. Mix in the raisins and walnuts.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, applesauce, oil and vanilla.
In a large bowl, stir together flours, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in egg mixture until just moistened. Stir in carrots, apples, raisins and walnuts.
Bake at 375 degrees 12-14 minutes, or until the tops are golden and spring back when lightly pressed.
Yum!
SPC
Yum!
SPC