Carrot, quinoa mix for great mini-muffin snack
The reason cupcakes took the baking world by storm a few years ago is because, in short, they are awesome. A sweet little package of moist, crumby goodness topped with a dollop of creamy, fatty frosting - I understand my four daughters' (and America's) obsession.
For the healthy eater, cupcakes might seem like a non-starter; completely off the table. Except my 10-year-old daughter, Charlotte, did something very wise that changed everything for me last year.
At someone else's party, she chose a mini-cupcake over a regular-sized cupcake, which frankly puzzled me, given the "more-is-more" tendency normally driving my children's sugary-treat decisions. Her reason? Because it was "cuter." To her, tiny was darling, and that made it better. I could use that to my advantage, I decided. And so can you.
I have always loved the automatic portion control that comes with using a regular muffin tin - I bake up everything from scalloped potatoes to huevos rancheros muffin-sized. And mini-muffins are perfect for healthier muffin batters - the smaller size is more forgiving on the texture front, so you can load up batters with protein and fiber (think whole grain flours, nuts, seeds, shredded veggies) and they will still be tasty, where full-sized muffins can feel denser more easily.
I make all sorts of flavors of mini-muffins, and keep them in my freezer in resealable plastic bags for last minute snacks and even breakfast on the go - they thaw in minutes on the counter.
Using my carrot and (leftover, repurposed) quinoa mini-muffin as a base, I added a reduced sugar frosting out of cream cheese and orange juice, and voila: the mini-muffin became a "cupcake." Suddenly, I had a very reasonable dessert! And, if you want to skip the frosting altogether, then keep this little guy as a mini-muffin, no problem - they are a treat either way.
• Food Network star Melissa d'Arabian is an expert on healthy eating on a budget. She is the author of the cookbook "Supermarket Healthy." Visit her at www.melissadarabian.net.