Apple-Cheddar Quinoa Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa flour (see Tips)
• 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour (see Tips) or gluten-free flour blend
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk (see Tips)
• 1 cup grated peeled apple
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives or scallion greens
• 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray or line with paper liners and spray the liners. Whisk quinoa flour, whole-wheat flour (or gluten-free flour blend), baking powder, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Whisk eggs, buttermilk, apple, oil and chives (or scallions) in a medium bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Add half the cheese and stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened; do not overmix. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake the muffins until golden brown and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before serving.
2. Make Ahead Tip: Individually wrap in plastic and freeze airtight for up to 1 month. To reheat frozen muffins, wrap in a paper towel and microwave on High for 30 to 60 seconds.

Equipment: Muffin tin with 12 ( ½-cup) cups

1. Tips: Look for quinoa flour in the baking section or near gluten-free flours. To make your own, grind whole grains of quinoa into a powder in a clean coffee grinder.
2. Whole-wheat pastry flour is milled from soft wheat and contains less gluten than regular whole-wheat. Both flours provide the nutritional benefits of whole grains. Find them in large supermarkets, natural-foods stores and online at bobsredmill.com and kingarthurflour.com. Store in the freezer.
3. No buttermilk? You can make “sour milk” as a substitute: mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar into 1 cup nonfat milk; let stand for about 10 minutes before using so the acid can sour the milk.
4. Storage smarts: For long-term freezer storage, wrap your food in a layer of plastic wrap followed by a layer of foil. The plastic will help prevent freezer burn while the foil will help keep off-odors from seeping into the food.

Nutrition

Serving size: 1 muffin Per serving: 169 calories; 7 g fat(3 g sat); 3 g fiber; 19 g carbohydrates; 6 g protein; 8 mcg folate; 41 mg cholesterol; 4 g sugars; 1 g added sugars; 178 IU vitamin A; 1 mg vitamin C; 193 mg calcium; 1 mg iron; 325 mg sodium; 68 mg potassium Carbohydrate Servings: 1½ Exchanges: 1 starch, ½ high-fat meat, ½ fat