Apple Carrot Muffins

Ingredients

1/2 cup peeled, diced baking apples
1/4 cup finely grated baby carrots
1 cup pre-sifted all-purpose flour
1/3 cup skim milk
1/4 cup carrot juice
3 tablespoons sweetened smooth applesauce
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons vanilla instant pudding mix powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Makes 8 muffins.

Directions

1.

Preheat the oven to 400 deg F. Place eight aluminum muffin liners in a muffin pan.
2.

Add the flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon into a small bowl. Stir to mix, about five strokes.
3.

Put the baby carrots and apples in a second small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the flour mixture to the apples and carrots, and gently stir to coat.
4.

Add the remaining ingredients to a third, larger bowl. Stir and mix thoroughly.
5.

Drop the remaining flour mixture into the egg mixture (bowl #3) in one addition. Stir for five strokes. Now add the apples and carrots (bowl #2) into this mixture (bowl #3). Stir just to blend, fifteen to thirty strokes. The batter should be a little lumpy; do not overstir.
6.

Spoon the batter into the muffin liners. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. The muffins are done when they develop a light golden color and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
7.

Cool the muffins in the pan for 2 minutes, then remove them to a wire rack.

Nutritional Information

Per Apple Carrot Muffin
139 calories
30.5 grams carbohydrates
3 grams protein
1 gram fat
6% calories from fat