Morning Glory Muffins

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Raisins (2 1/2 ounces)
• 2 cups King Arthur whole wheat flour (8 1/2 ounces)
• 1 cup Brown sugar (7 1/2 ounces)
• 2 teaspoons Baking soda
• 2 teaspoons Cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 2 cups Carrots (7 ounces) peeled and grated
• 1 large tart apple peeled, cored, and grated
• 1/2 cup Sweetened shredded coconut (1 1/2 ounces)
• 1/2 cup Walnuts (2 ounces) chopped
• 1/3 cup Sunflower seeds or wheat gern (1 1/2 ounces) optional
• 3 large Eggs
• 2/3 cup Vegetable oil (4 5/8 ounces)
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup Orange juice (2 ounces )

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin, or line it with papers and spray the insides of the papers.
2. TO MAKE THE MUFFINS: In a small bowl, cover the raisins with hot water, and set them aside to soak while you assemble the rest of the recipe. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, spices, and salt. Stir in the carrots, apple, coconut, nuts, and sunflower seeds or wheat germ, if using. In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs, oil, vanilla, and orange juice. Add to the flour mixture, and stir until evenly moistened. Drain the raisins and stir them in. Divide the batter among the wells of the prepared pan (they’ll be full almost to the top; that’s OK).
3. TO BAKE THE MUFFINS: Bake for 25 to 28 minutes, until nicely domed and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven, let cool for 5 minutes in their pan on a rack, then turn out of pans to finish cooling.