Twelve-Grain Muffins

These muffins were developed by Full Bloom Baking Company for the pilot Universal Breakfast program in the Berkeley Unified School District. The muffins are healthful, delicious, and nutritious and are a great component for breakfast. Serve them with your child's favorite flavored yogurt, and breakfast will surely be a hit. They freeze well - in fact, freezing is preferable to refrigeration if you want to save them for more than a couple of days, as it locks moisture in while refrigeration dries food out.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup 12-grain cereal (10-grain cereal works too)
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup dates, chopped
1 tspn salt
1/4 cup honey
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 egg
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tspn baking powder
1 tspn baking soda
1 tspn cinnamon
1 cup chopped raw mixed seeds and nuts, such as pumpkin, sesame, flax, sunflower, walnuts, cashews

Preparation

1. Combine the 12-grain cereal, boiling water, chopped dates, and salt and soak for 8 hours.
   
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare the mini muffin pan with either cooking spray or paper liners.
3. In a small bowl combine the honey, maple syrup, egg, oil, and buttermilk and set aside.
4. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon and mix well.
5. Mix the cereal mixture from the night before with the mixed wet ingredients, then add it to the mixed dry ingredients, stirring until just combined.
6. Bake approximately 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Recipe courtesy of Laura C. Martin and Chef Ann Cooper Green Market Baking Book [review]

United States