We love these muffins and I like disguise them as cupcakes with some frosting and they become a super treat! (and for the parents they are great just plain!). Honestly I didn't really know the difference between muffins and cupcakes until my son told me the other day, so since we always made 'muffins' I decided we should make a go at 'cupcakes' -- full disclosure -- they are the same recipe just add the frosting!
You can mix around this recipe with the things your kids like best but its a good basic recipe and you can use fresh or frozen of any of the following, blueberries, strawberries, bananas, rasberries, chocolate chips, etc... you get the picture.
(I will use blueberry/banana as that's a favorite in this house)
(relatively) HEALTHY MUFFINS
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup crushed flax seeds
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 ripe bananas
1/3 cup milk or rice milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup organic fresh or frozen blueberries
preheat oven to 375f and butter your muffin tin
combine flours, flax seeds, baking soda and salt
beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy
add eggs, one at a time, beat well
add bananas, milk and vanilla
mix in flour mixture a little bit at a time
mix in blueberries with a spoon
bake 25 to 28 minutes
let cool fully before frosting them or eat warm without frosting!
and wait until you hear what the frosting is made of you will hit the roof (at least I was surprised)
FROSTING
2 sticks of softened butter (room temp)
thicken with about 1 cup (or so...) of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
add coloring for whatever color you need, if you are piping other colors split up the frosting into a few bowls (however many colors you are doing) and add colors to each.
You will note that I didn't specify 'organic', except for the fruit, because I feel that some things I like to use organic and some not.. I am sure that you work the same in your kitchen, personally I use everything organic except the butter... I feel like organic butter is so expensive and to use it in baking is a little too much!
(this recipe is adapted from a recipe that I found in Martha Stewarts Everyday Food magzine--I just changed a few things)
