Okay, muffins are getting boring

Pineapple Upside-Down Muffins
The Essential Eating Well Cookbook Copyright 2004

Topping:
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar I wasn't paying attention and used dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts or pecans (optional) I omitted these
1 10-ounce can pineapple slices I used chunks cut in half - tidbits would have been perfect

Muffins:
¾ cup whole-wheat flour
¾ cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
½ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ cup canola oil
2 tablespoons pineapple juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple (not drained)
1 cup grated carrot (1 large)
½ cup old-fashioned oats
¾ cup raisins
¼ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional) I omitted these

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat 12 muffin cups with cooking spray. I made 6 jumbo muffins and about 19 mini muffins (the mini muffins weren't 'upside down').
2. To prepare topping: Sprinkle ½ teaspoon brown sugar into each muffin cup. Sprinkle nuts, if using over the sugar. Stack pineapple slices and cut into 6 wedges. Place 2 wedges in each muffin cup.
3. To prepare muffins: Whisk whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl.
4. Whisk eggs and brown sugar in a medium bowl until smooth. Whisk in oil, juice and vanilla. Stir in crushed pineapple. Make a well in the dry ingredients; add the wet ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined. Stir in carrots, oats, raisins and nuts, if using. Scoop the batter into the prepared cups (they’ll be quite full).
5. Bake the muffins until the tops are golden brown and firm to the touch, 15 to 20 minutes. Immediately loosed edges and turn muffins out onto a baking sheet. Restore any stray pineapple pieces and nuts. Let cool for at least 10 minutes. Serve upside-down, either warm or at room temperature.

Makes 1 dozen muffin. Per muffin: 211 calories, 6 g fat, 35 mg chol, 36 g carbs, 4 g protein, 3 g fiber, 185 mg sodium

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I made 6 jumbo muffins with pineapple bottoms and then I just made mini-muffins out of the rest of the batter. My son ate about 4 mini-muffins in a row. The upside-down muffins were more exciting than the plain mini-muffins but the batter stands well on it's own without the pineapple 'topping'. Sorry about the picture- my camera died while I was trying to get a good shot.

So I think I'm tired of muffins. There's an endless variety of muffin recipes, except most of the 'healthier' ones with whole wheat flour all seem to taste sort of the same in the end. I really need to find something different that can double as a quick breakfast and a treat.

I can't think of a Question of the Day today. Feel free to ask me a question LOL.