but the food inside is warm and wonderful….

Try these muffins that include all the seasonal tastes of winter (pumpkin, apples, spices, hearty grains and did I mention deliciousness?).  They might be a little too good for everyday…but they are perfect for company days, or extra cold days, or snow days, or the roads are too scary to drive days, or mittens and scarf and stocking caps days, or snowman days, or…..you get it.  Enjoy!

Winter Muffins

1/2 c raisins (I like golden raisins, but then I am married to someone who likes to say “I prefer my grapes before they rot,” so sometimes I have to hide good things.)

1 apple, cored and diced (don’t peel away that beautiful color and those precious vitamins – not to mention your time)

1 1/2 c flour (I use a light whole wheat flour)

2 t baking powder

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 c sugar

2 t cinnamon

1/2 t nutmeg

1/4 t allspice

1/2 t salt

3/4 c wheat bran

1/4 c ground flax seed (or chia seed, or oat bran, or whatever other ground up super food you have in your pantry.)

1 c pureed pumpkin

2/3 c unsweetened almond milk

1/4 c olive oil

1 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Soak raisins in warm water – to make them fat and juicy (and less likely to dry out and burn in the oven.)

Mix flour, baking powder, sugar, spices, salt, bran, and flaxseed in a bowl.  In a separate bowl mix pumpkin, almond milk, oil and vanilla together.  Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir till just barely mixed together (all the dry things get wet.)  Fold in soaked raisins and diced apples.

Portion into 12 muffin tins (which have been sprayed lightly with non-stick cooking spray) or 24 mini muffin tins. Bake for 20-22 min (for full size, a little less for minis) or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Enjoy warm but try not to burn your tongue!

Source – Adapted from VeganDad.com