Carrot Apricot Mango Muffins

Home feels good.  It’s hot in Seattle, our plants are sad and I’m jet-lagged as hell, but still.  Home!

I ate an entire box of macaron cookies from Pierre Hermé on the plane ride back (I mean, what else is a person supposed to do when she’s spent all of her airport time buying chocolate at duty-free instead of a new book to read, and it turns out the plane is an old one and there are NO TVs?!?  Pray, tell me), and between that and the endless pounds of jamón I consumed in Spain, I think it’s time for some VEGETABLES up in here.

Or, you know, muffins.  Eeeeasing back into it, people.

As muffins go, these are on the smaller, nice-and-moist-but-healthy-ish side of things.  Not too much sugar.  There’s Greek yogurt in there.  And they’re packed with vitamin A!  From the carrots, fresh mango, and dried apricots.

They’re a good transition between chocolate for breakfast and straight up green juice.

They’re easy to make, a simple two-bowl affair, and no electric mixer needed.  And best of all, at least for me?  Eating one means I’m not living out of a suitcase, not butchering the french language or waiting in security lines or schlepping bags or eating airport Mexican food (not advised)… it means I’m finally HOME.

Carrot Apricot Mango Muffins

These are wonderfully flavorful little breakfast treats.  If you want to make them even healthier, swap out one cup of flour with whole wheat.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 1/4 cup chopped dried apricots
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh mango
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup olive or canola oil
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (I used 2%)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F, with two racks spaced evenly apart.  Grease 18-20 muffin cups (or line with paper liners).

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and sugar.  Add the carrots, and mix to coat.  Next add the apricots and mango, and toss to coat again.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, yogurt, honey and vanilla until smooth.

Add the floury carrot mixture to the egg mixture, and stir to combine – a thick batter will come together.

Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tins (fill them 3/4 full), and bake the muffins until golden and puffed, and a skewer inserted into the biggest one comes out clean – about 15 to 20 minutes.

Allow the muffins to cool slightly before turning them out and cooling them completely on a wire rack.

Makes 18-20 normal-sized muffins.  Muffins will keep, well-wrapped at room temperature, for about 5 days.