Meatless Monday: Apple & Carrot Muffins

It always feels like I'm cheating when I post a baking recipe for Meatless Monday, but since the Lentil Loaf recipe I was hoping to share this week needs some perfecting, I present to you these already perfectly perfect Apple & Carrot Pulp Muffins! I recently acquired a juicer, and to be honest, I was just as excited about finding delicious ways to use the pulp left over from the juicing process as I was to drink the juice itself. I came up with this recipe by combining suggestions from a few different recipes for carrot pulp muffins. If you don't juice, you can make these muffins using shredded apple and carrot. This recipe makes 2 dozen dense, moist muffins and takes about 45 minutes from start to ready-to-eat cooled muffins.

By the way, Apple-Carrot Juice is delicious!

What You'll Need:

• 3 cups flour
• 1/4 cup ground flax seeds
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon
• 3 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/8 cups brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups coconut (or other, but I recommend coconut) oil-softened
• 3/8 cup water
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 6 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 cups apple/carrot pulp (or equal amount shredded apple/carrot)

What You'll Do:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease (or use cooking spray) 2 Muffin tins.
• Mix flour, flax, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda.
• In a separate (large) bowl, mix sugar, oil, water, and vanilla extract, then add eggs and mix thoroughly. Gently stir in pulp.
• Add dry ingredients in 2-3 additions, mixing well after each addition.
• Spoon into greased muffin pans and bake for 20 minutes. Muffins are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 
• Allow to cool on wire racks for about 10 minutes.
• Enjoy! (I recommend a glass of Apple-Carrot juice as an accompaniment!)

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