I know I have been doing a lot of posts about baking lately and I will be getting back to crafting soon. I actually have a couple of really cute Valentines crafts coming up in the next couple weeks. But for now we are on a baking spree.
Each Sunday I try to get some baking done so my girls have some nutritious nibbles for their lunches. I have 2 school aged children and two little ones at home so whatever I make I have to make a lot of. It needs to be low sugar, because I am on a mission to minimize the amount of sugar my kids consume. It has to be healthy. It has to be baby friendly because I am doing baby led weaning with my 9 month old, and it has to be tasty because I have two very picky children.
Recently I have been using quinoa in a lot of my baking and cooking because it is a fantastic grain that has a ton of health benefits and is a complete protein on it’s own.
A while ago I made a pumpkin quinoa muffin that was really good. I figure since I am on an apple kick these days that I would change things up a bit and play with the recipe.
After a couple of attempts, I came up with a version that I am pretty happy with. If your kids are picky about textures you can blend the cooked quinoa with the milk in the recipe and it will produce a smoother texture in the muffin. This is what I have to do for my oldest two.
Apple Quinoa Muffins
2 cups cooked Quinoa
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (you could use half whole wheat if you like)
1 Tbs cinnamon
2 medium grated apples
2 eggs
½ cup agave syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 pinch of salt
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
.
Preheat your oven to 350. Yeilds 12 Large muffins or 18 medium sized muffins
I use silicone muffin cups, which are fantastic, but if you don’t have those grease a muffin tin.
Combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl mix together the milk, oil, quinoa, vanilla, and egg. Stir in the grated apples. Add the dry ingredients and stir until just moistened, and portion out the batter.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until the top of the muffin springs back when you touch it.
This makes a great addition to school lunches. Because they are loaded with protein they fill up little stomachs and give a great boost of energy.
What are some of your favorite things to put in lunches?