Toast your health with a tasty muffin

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 02/06/2010 (5617 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Today’s column features a couple of tasty muffin recipes.

Roberta Burgess had asked if anyone might have the recipe for the health muffins that used to be served by the former Caesar’s Palace at Polo Park. Thanks to Gayle Fiks, who came through with a recipe that she says is authentic. It was given to her father by a Caesar’s employee and she still has the original, yellowed piece of paper it was written on. Thanks also to Selkirk’s Shirley Jefferson, who was cleaning out a workshop and coincidentally came across a yellowed copy of the recipe the same week it was requested.

The carrot, zucchini and apple muffin recipe is courtesy of reader Edna Mroz of Beausejour.

If you can help with a recipe request, have your own request, or a favourite recipe you’d like to share, send an email to recipeswap@freepress.mb.ca, fax it to 697-7412, or write to Recipe Swap, c/o Darlene Henderson, Winnipeg Free Press, 1355 Mountain Ave., Winnipeg, MB, R2X 3B6. Please include your first and last name, address and telephone number.

 

Caesar’s Palace health muffins

 

250 ml (1 cup) brown sugar

2 eggs

160 ml (2/3 cup) vegetable oil

250 ml (1 cup) milk

375 ml (1 1/2 cups) whole wheat flour

10 ml (2 tsp) maple extract

Pinch of salt

5 ml (1 tsp) baking soda

5 ml (1 tsp) baking powder

Raisins

Walnuts

Dates

 

Mix wet ingredients in one bowl. Mix dry ingredients in another bowl. Combine and let sit overnight. Bake at 205 C (400 F) for 15 to 20 minutes.

Taste Tester Notes: Moist and tasty muffins with a nice maple flavour. The dried fruit adds natural sweetness, so you could use less sugar, if you like, according to your taste. I used 125 ml (1/2 cup) each of raisins, walnuts and dates. Once mixed, cover and refrigerate to let sit overnight. The batter will thicken as it sits. This made 12 medium-large muffins.

 

Carrot zucchini apple muffins

 

1 egg

30 ml (2 tbsp) canola oil

125 ml (1/2 cup) skim milk

160 ml (2/3 cup) packed brown sugar

5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla

430 ml (1 3/4 cups) whole wheat flour

60 ml (1/4 cup) flax seed (whole or ground)

10 ml (2 tsp) baking powder

2 ml (1/2 tsp) salt

5 ml (1 tsp) cinnamon

1 ml (1/4 tsp) nutmeg

250 ml (1 cup) diced, peeled apple

125 ml (1/2 cup) grated carrot

125 ml (1/2 cup) grated zucchini

In a large bowl, beat egg lightly. Add oil, milk, brown sugar and vanilla; mix well.

In another bowl, mix together flower, flax seed, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add to egg mixture, stirring just until combined. Stir in apple, carrot and zucchini.

Spoon into 10 greased or paper lined medium muffin cups, filling almost to top. Bake in 205 C (400 F) oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until firm to touch.

Taste Tester Notes: A nice combination of ingredients in these flavourful and moist muffins (my seven year-old son rated them five out of five). I used fresh, unpeeled grated zucchini, and made 12 medium-sized muffins with this recipe.

 

photos by Kelvin Henderson