Morning Glory Muffins and Awards

These are great breakfast muffins. If you have no time for Breakfast, just grab a couple of these carrot,fruit and nut muffins and take breakfast with you. How easy can it get. No more excuses for not eating your breakfast. In fact I belong to this category of "no time for breakfast" myself. But when I bake some tea cakes or muffins I surely have time for breakfast. Also they are so nutritious you don't feel guilty eating them or making them for your kids. Also you could store them in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Also I'm really curious to know why they are called Morning Glory. The only logical explanation I could think is that they are good for breakfast so morning glory. Feel free to enlighten me with any information about the origin of this name. This recipe is from a book," Big Fat Cookies" by Elinor Klivans. Since I'm really partial towards muffins. I used this recipe to make muffins

Ingredients:

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup ( 1 1/2 sticks) Unsalted butter
• 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup finely grated peeled carrots
• 3/4 cup grated peeled apple
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
• 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

***Please do not be intimidated by the long list of ingredients. The list looks long but most of the ingredients are likely to be in your pantry.

Preparation :

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease the muffin cups or line them with paper muffin liners.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon into a medium bowl and set aside.
4. In a large bowl beat the butter, sugar and orange zest for about a minute until smoothly blended .
5. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix for about a minute until blended .
6. Mix in the carrots, apple, raisins,coconut and walnuts.
7. Now slowly add the flour mixture, mixing just until incorporated.
8. Now Spoon the muffin mixture into the muffin cups already prepared.

9. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean.
10. Let them cool for about 5 minutes and then set them on a wire rack to cool completely.
11. Ready to be served. This recipe yieds two dozen medium size muffins.

Now its Award Time ....

I'm a bit late in posting my awards. I was a little under the weather. But now feel great especially after seeing these awards. Who would'nt be..right. Did not want to look like I was'nt happy. I'm very happy to say the least.

Let me share my happiness and awards with you. Asha Latha has been kind enough to give me this award and Malar Gandhi has been generous enough to share this award with me as well. Both these fellow blogger friends are remarkable in what they do. Do check out their blogs and you will know what I mean. Thank you Asha and Malar. This is a great feeling. I hope to pass on the happiness to all my followers of my blog. Even if you are not a follower but took the efforts to browse through my blog, you can take the award too for your efforts. Feel free to pick up this award and display it on your blog. Lets spread the happiness.

Also there's another award from Priya. She has just posted her 150th post. It was a thankyou award from her as well as a Christmas Card. Heartiest Congratulations on your achievement.

Feel free to pick up these awards as well and display it on your blog. Happy Holidays.