Healthy Wholewheat Carrot and Apricot Muffins

Ever since my GM diet got over, I have been trying to include as much healthy food as possible in my regular routine. Starting with a low fat, high fibre breakfast in the morning and cooking my daily meals in olive oil, I have managed to keep my weight loss constant and even trying to pull it down further through a rigorous exercise regime. However, while I can stay away from other junkies and fried stuff, my sweet tooth keeps haunting me and gives me nightmares. So I put my baking experience to use and put together a delicious healthy muffin to satisfy my cravings as well as take care of the nutrient factor. I did want to experiment a little more with this recipe but I let it go, lest I spoil the flavors and go overboard with my confidence! 

Ingredients

1 cup wholewheat flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

4 tbsp butter (I used low fat olive butter)

1 tbsp orange juice (I used canned lime juice as I did not have orange juice at hand)

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup grated carrots

1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted (optional)

1/4 cup buttermilk (I used skimmed milk)

1/8 tsp salt

Direction

Mix the flour, baking powder, and apricots in a bowl and keep aside.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg, softened butter, and sugar till creamy. Add the skimmed milk or buttermilk (whatever you are using) and juice. Mix further. Now add the flour mixture and fold in well making sure no lumps are formed. Now add the grated carrots and mix. Lastly, add the pine nuts and fold in well without over mixing.

Pre-heat the oven at 200 degree celsius for 10 mins. Line a muffin tray with paper liners and fill each cup upto 3/4th and tap the bottom. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and forms a beautiful golden crust. Take out from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a longer shelf life.