Berry Hill Muffins

These hearty berry hill muffins are fruit and nut filled and not too sweet. The recipe calls for maple sugar, a healthy whole foods alternative to sugar that is expensive and can be hard to find. Here's a little secret - Either brown sugar or sucanat will work as substitutes! This recipe also calls for spelt or barley flour, but whole-wheat can be substituted.

Berry Hill Muffin Recipe

• 1 cup spelt or barley flour (may substitute with whole-wheat flour)
• 1 cup rolled oats, coarsely ground in a food processor
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 cup maple sugar (may substitute with brown sugar or sucanat)
• 1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots
• 2 large tart apples, peeled, cored, and coarsely grated
• 1/2 cup raisins, chopped dates, or apricots (or a combination of both)
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk or soy milk
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Coat muffin pans with cooking spray.

Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add fruit and nuts and stir to coat with flour mixture.

In a second bowl, combine oil, salt, milk, eggs, and vanilla.

Pour liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just moistened.

Divide the mixture evenly between the muffin cups (I think an OXO Good Grips Cookie Scoop works best).

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until nicely golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the muffins cool in the pans for five minutes before removing to a wire rack. Cool completely before storing.

Makes 18 muffins