Sweet Potato -Cornmeal Muffins
So we finally started watching Downton Abby this weekend – such drama! I love it. Nick and I made a deal to do more special things together at home after Dylan goes to bed. Saturday night we played Trivial Pursuit 90’s Edition which made me feel like we were back in 2008…although I remember dominating in 2008 and was royally beat this weekend. Must brush up on New Kids on the Block and Gulf War trivia.
Dylan and I made these muffins together Sunday afternoon while Nick went surfing. He had just woken up from his nap so my sous chef was wearing polar bear PJs, as all good sous chefs should.
SWEET POTATO CORNMEAL MUFFINS
from Feeding the Whole Family
recipe says makes 12 muffins but I came out with 10
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or barley flour (I used whole wheat pastry)
2 teaspoons nonaluminum baking powder
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 cup baked and mashed winter squash or sweet potato (either bake the vegetable and scoop out flesh or purchase a high quality canned vegetable – organic without any additives)
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 eggs
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds, for topping (I used raw sunflower seeds)
Preheat oven to 375. Lightly oil muffin tins or line with paper muffin cups. Mix cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl; set aside.
Mix mashed squash or sweet potato, butter, maple syrup, and eggs together.
Add wet ingredients to dry mixture and mix with minimum of strokes. Fill muffin cups full with batter. Decorate top of each muffin with a few pumpkin seeds. Bake 25 to 30 minutes (check at 25 because you don’t want to over-bake, mine were done).
FOR BABIES 6 MONTHS AND OLDER: Reserve 2 to 4 tablespoons of the baked winter squash or sweet potato that has been mashed.
FOR BABIES 10 MONTHS AND OLDER: Toast some pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet until they puff up and pop. Grind these to a meal and use 1/2 teaspoon or so added to baby’s cereal for flavor and nutrients.
FOR TODDLERS: Eat muffin as is or slice and spread with butter, all fruit jam, or nut butter.