There's something about fall that just cries out for muffins. And spices. And something a little sweet and special.
But (ask anyone) I am a food nazi. I admit I am obsessive about what my daughter eats. I am also obsessive about not wasting anything. Sometimes these tendencies are frustrating. Other times, like today, they result in a fortuitous discovery of a new favorite food.
We had some boiled beets sitting in the fridge that needed to be used.
I wanted something other than your typical beet-chocolate combo.
But the only other recipes I found sounded boring, with nothing special in them but beets!
Oh, and sugar. Let's not forget the sugar. Every recipe had plenty of sugar. That's a no-no in this house. As is regular, all-purpose flour, unless you're a cake or a cookie.
So, we just had to come up with our own recipe.
If you try these, beets might just become your new favorite food. I guarantee, you can't eat just one! These are even sweet enough to call a cupcake, if you so desire. They would be lovely as a first birthday cake, spread with a little honey-cream cheese frosting.
If you are cooking with a little one, remember, beets stain! Vinegar, lemon juice and cold water are your friends. A little pre-wash spray doesn't hurt either.
I'm sorry I don't have exact spice measurements. That's what happens when a two year old shakes in the spices for you.
Scarlet Gingerbread Muffins
2 cups white whole wheat flour
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
Approximately:
1 1/2 t ginger
1-2 t cinnamon
1/4 t cloves
1/4 + t nutmeg
1 cup milk
1/3 cup oil (we used a mixture of coconut and olive since I didn't have veggie on hand)
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup molasses
1 t vanilla extract
1 cup pureed beets
Preheat oven to 350. Whisk together dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients. Add dry ingredients to wet and stir to combine. Fill greased or lined muffin tins 3/4 full with batter and bake 12-15 min for mini muffins, about 25 minutes for regular muffins. We got a dozen regular muffins plus a dozen mini muffins from this recipe.
