Whole Wheat Cantaloupe Muffins 07/17/2010
 Melons are summer fruits. Their large-bodied heaviness speaks of ample sweet juice that can cool the body with one succulent bite. I will gladly sit down with a plate of watermelon or cantaloupe and gnaw each slice of fruit down to the rind. A simple side dish or even a dessert, melons make summer entertaining easier. But besides eating the fruit whole or mixed in a larger salad, what can one do with a melon? As a novice baker, I strive to find or create recipes that are just slightly different from the normal offerings. While classic recipes will remain beloved for generations, it is exciting to walk along a new path. Chefs across the country amaze me with their inventiveness. The combination of different ingredients and flavors inspire people to spend good amounts of money. We all want to experience the pleasure of trying something we never thought possible. Perhaps using melons in a muffin recipe is not as original as I would like think. Perhaps it is being done in kitchens across the country, and I've just been stuck in the average berry or banana muffin rut. But regardless, I think this recipe is special, and I certainly haven't seen it in any bakery I frequent. Click on the link below my picture to read more and to find the recipe.  What I love about cantaloupe is the relative ease of finding a promising fruit. Unlike a watermelon, a good cantaloupe is identifiable by that characteristic sweet smell at the base of the melon. Whenever I visit a grocery store, I walk over to the bin of melons and I begin picking up cantaloupe after cantaloupe, sniffing until I find that ideal sweetness. The melon I picked out for this recipe was very ripe and juicy. I had no problems pulsating the juicy chunks in my blender a few times in order to create the orange hued puree. I picked up a small bag of unsweetened cocount at the local health food store to toast and sprinkle on top; a summer melon muffin just couldn't be complete without that tropical twist. These muffins have the added benefit of being made with a combination of whole wheat and all-purpose flour. They make a perfect mid-morning snack or even a light dessert after a filling dinner. The density of the whole wheat is combated with a new technique I discovered in muffin making. Like many other cake recipes, I separated the egg whites from the yolks and subjected the whites to a heavy beating until soft peaks formed. I then gently folded these egg whites into the rest of the batter...and the result was a light and airy muffin.  Whole Wheat Cantaloupe Muffins 1 cup cantaloupe, peeled, seeded and pureed 1/2 cup applesauce 2 eggs, separated 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract 1/2 cup walnut pieces 3/4 cups light brown sugar 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 3/4 cup whole wheat flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 cup lightly toasted coconut (shredded and preferably unsweetened) 1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and lightly grease a 12 cup muffin pan. 2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cantaloupe puree, applesauce, egg yolks, vanilla, walnut pieces and brown sugar. In a separate bowl, sift together flours, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and ginger. Stir flour mixture into cantaloupe mixture until just combined. Set aside. 3. In a separate and clean bowl, whip the egg whites to soft peak stage. Lightly fold egg whites into batter. Divide the batter evenly into prepared pan. 4. Place in the oven and bake for 20-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean. Always, Monet Anecdotes and Apple Cores Comments07/17/2010 9:29am
Hi Monet, I love these muffins, they look so good and sound so healthy, love the coconut on top, I will have to try these, take care, Patty 07/17/2010 10:05am
WOW! Cantaloupe AND coconut in muffin form? That is truly brilliant. I'll have to try this sort of thing soon. 07/17/2010 10:35am
id love to try adding cantaloupe to my muffins!! thats such a neat idea!! and im guessing the water content of the fruit would only add to the moistness of them :) 07/17/2010 12:58pm
Those muffins must be really moist with the addition of cantaloupe and apple sauce. Not to mention SUPER healthy too! I think you have come up with a winner. They look scrumptious. Jessica 07/17/2010 7:17pm
I love it! The addition of the coconut is just perfect, too. And I will have to remember the beating egg whites technique - that's what I do when I make pancakes, but never thought to for muffins! I bet it makes the whole wheat seem much less dense - but still with the lovely taste and texture of it :) 07/17/2010 10:44pm
My dear Monet, 07/18/2010 12:00am
wowowwowow. never would've thought it was possible, to put a melon in a muffin! 07/18/2010 1:42am
I find cantalope muffins quite interesting and unique. I do have to say I'm rather hesitant to attempt this recipe, but I am very intrigued. I really like your tip on separating the eggs and then beating the whites to make your bakes more "airy". I think it will become a necessity. Oh, that bread from today was divine! I ate far too much while debating what to order, bread is my weakness, no matter if wine is involved or not... I have to say that while all your recipes are interesting this has to be one of the most intriguing ones yet. I have never considered baking with cantaloupe before and love the idea of this being a nice healthy morning muffin. 07/18/2010 8:29am
what an cool combination! i never would have thought cantaloupe + muffins, but they sound like they would be so moist, sweet and delightful! hopefully if my cantaloupes come to fruition, i can give this a try. 07/18/2010 3:33pm
I've always wanted to try using cantalope or other melons in baked goods, but always hesitated. Now I know it can work :) And good call on the separating of eggs.. I usually always do it with my cakes but I've never thought to do it with muffins! 07/18/2010 4:44pm
I've never baked with cantaloupe before. How creative! I wonder what else I could throw into a muffin! 07/18/2010 5:12pm
You were such an inspiration in this post: http://www.simplymaren.com/index.php/2010/07/onos-without-the-on-in-the-os/ 07/18/2010 5:49pm
What a great idea! I tend to buy too much fruit and am always at a loss at what to do with it before it goes bad. Now I have a great resource for recipes! 07/19/2010 7:34am
Cantaloupe muffins?! You've just blown my mind. I have to try these!! I just love your blog 07/19/2010 7:34am
That is a great combination for your muffins! I would never have thought to use cantaloupe in a baked good (just a martini!). 07/19/2010 10:32am
Wow, what a unique use for cantaloupe! Those sound and look absolutely, delicious, Monet. Wonderful job! 07/19/2010 2:47pm
That is real summer baking. Cantaloupe and whole wheat what a sweet pair. 07/19/2010 6:10pm
What a unique and wonderful sounding muffin:) They look lovely... Le 07/20/2010 6:04am
I would have never thought to add rockmelon in muffins or any cake for that matter! Sounds yummy and looks fantastic! I love the sweet smell of ripe rockmelons, I can smell em from a mile away! To be honest I haven't eaten rockmelons since the beginning of this year when I got food poisoning because of it being spoilt rotten (I hadn't noticed). But this recipe may have just changed that! 07/22/2010 11:17am
You have put your stamp of creativity on these delicious looking muffins! Love the idea of cantaloupe and that they're healthy enough to enjoy as a snack - you had me at first sight of coconut topping :) Good luck in Austin - hope you'll still find time to bake us goodies! Jessie -- The Messie Kitchen 07/22/2010 11:53am
I'm so glad you are willing to try out these non-conventional recipes because I am always hesitant unless someone has done it first. I love the look of the cocnut on top. Though I'm not a huge coconut fan, I think the combo of flavors would be yummy! 09/01/2010 9:36pm
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