Healthy Apple and Dried Cherry Mini Muffins

The wonderful thing about kids is the fact that they are unpredictable. The challenging thing about kids is the fact that they are unpredictable.

There are times when I expect a negative reaction to a situation, and my girls will completely surprize me by showing a level of maturity that is beyond their years. Yes (smile), they are unpredictable.

One week something is an all-time favourite. The next week it is the worst thing ever. This is particularly the case when it comes to food. Yes (sigh), they are unpredictable.

But, I find that if you hold your ground, they eventually eat the dish or snack that you made for them. And I think they like it too . . . they just won’t admit it. (They get their stubborn streak from their father.) Otherwise they’d have a very unhealthy and boring food repetoire (think mac & cheese, pizza and grilled cheese). Somedays it wears you down, but it keeps me on my toes as I live in search of recipes that my ponytails will like.

These mini apple muffins went over well last week, which made me very happy since they are made with lots of healthy bits, such as apples, oats, dried cherries and sesame seeds. They were perfect to send to school for snacks, since they are nut-free, but still have some crunch to them from the sesame seeds. I guiltlessly ate quite a few myself because they are made with very little fat–only 2 tablespoons of canola oil for the entire batch. They ranked right up there with the Blueberry and Banana Muffins that I wrote about in my very first post.

I keep wondering how many more years until the girls become more adventurous about their food–the way they were when they were really little and weren’t influenced by the kids menu at restaurants? Is there cause for optimism?

Healthy Apple Breakfast Muffins

Slightly adapted from Style at Home Magazine

• 1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
• 1 cup plain fat-free yogurt (I used 1%)
• 2 cups grated peeled apple
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup fat-free milk (I used 1%)
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 1 tsp pure vanilla
• 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 2/3 firmly packed brown sugar
• 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup chopped dried cherries
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375°
• Combine the oats and yogurt in a medium bowl and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Whisk together the apple, eggs, milk, oil and vanilla in a separate bowl.
• Add the apple mixture to the yogurt mixture and stir to blend.
• In a large bowl, mix together the flours, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
• Pour the yogurt mixture over the dry ingredients and sprinkle with the dried cherries and sesame seeds.
• Stir until just combined.
• Spoon the mixture into a mini muffn tin and bake for 15-18 minutes, until the tops are brown. If using regular sized muffin tin, bake for 35 minutes.

Notes:

• For tips on making mini muffins, see my original post.

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