Morning Glory Muffins From Cook's Country April/May 2011<br>
<br>
Why this recipe works:<br>
<br>
All of the versions of Morning Glory Muffins we tasted were greasy and full of fat. We cut the amount of fat in the original recipe by half, which fixed the problem. We also switched from oil to butter, which vastly improved the flavor. The apple and pineapple added tons of moisture to the muffins, which made them gummy and wet. We strained the fruits and pressed out the juice to take care of the problem.<br>
<br>
Without the fruit juice, our muffins lacked their trademark fruity flavor. We reduced some of the extruded juice on the stovetop and added the syrupy liquid back into the batter to insert flavor without introducing too much moisture.<br>
Watch the Video From our TV Show Watch This Recipe Season 5: Breakfast Breads<br>
<br>
Makes 12 muffins<br>
<br>
Don't throw away the juice from the can of pineapple; you'll need it. To toast the coconut and walnuts, place them in a dry skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until they're golden, about 5 minutes. Cool before grinding them. We prefer golden raisins here, but ordinary raisins will work, too.<br>
<br>
Ingredients<br>
<br>
3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted<br>
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted<br>
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour<br>
3/4 cup sugar<br>
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda<br>
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br>
1/2 teaspoon baking powder<br>
3/4 teaspoon salt<br>
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple<br>
1 granny smith apple, peeled, cored and shredded<br>
8 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled slightly<br>
3 large eggs<br>
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br>
1 1/2 cups carrots, shredded (2-3 medium)<br>
1 cup golden raisin<br>
<br>
Directions:<br>
<br>
1 Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat to 350 degrees. Grease 12-cup muffin tin. Process coconut and walnuts in food processor until finely ground. Add flour, sugar, baking soda, 
cinnamon, baking powder, and salt and pulse until combined. Transfer to large bowl.<br>
<br>
2 Place pineapple and shredded apple in fine mesh strainer set over liquid measuring cup. Press fruit dry with a spatula or the back of a spoon (juice should measure about 1 cup.) Bring juice 
to boil in large skillet over medium-high heat and cook until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly. Whisk melted butter, cooled juice, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Stir 
wet mixture into dry mixture until combined. Stir in fruit, carrots and raisins.<br>
<br>
3 Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out clean, 24-28 minutes. Cool in tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack. Serve 
warm. Can be stored in airtight container for 3 days.<br>
<br>