Ryan and I don't own a television. We find more than enough distraction on our trendy macs, and with the advent of free TV episodes online, why add another expensive monthly bill? Remember: Ryan and I are poor (but only in our pocketbooks, not in our hearts), and most of my money is going to imported vanilla beans and organic bread flour.
And of course, most of the programming on television today is trash, so why bother? But there are a few gems...Modern Family, the Daily Show and the Colbert Report being our favorites. So on slow weekday evenings, we'll plug in our laptops, pop a bowl of popcorn and feed our pop culture appetites.
On the most recent episode of Modern Family, the clan is about to depart for a week vacation in Maui--wonderful idea, I know, and the inspiration for these tropical muffins. But unfortunately getting to Hawaii or any other island takes a fair amount of planning and sacrifice. Ryan and I are leaving for NYC in a couple of weeks, and I'm already dreading the airport experience. (Airports are not my favorite place...the food options, the stress-ridden travelers, the uncomfortable chairs, the screaming babies).
Like me, the Modern Family crew has a rough go at the dreaded airport. Mishaps and hilarity ensue at LAX, and although comedic, it did make me worry a bit more about our own trip. But alas, there is hope: A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, the medicine go down, the medicine go down (yes! I hope you began to sing this to yourself). When anticipating a stressful situation, I've found that a homemade treat can make all the difference in the world.
These muffins are what I would have baked for the Modern Family crew if they were real and if I lived anywhere near LA. For each adorable character, I would hand over a pair of these muffins, safely secure in a zip loc bag. And assuredly, after a bite into one of these gems, they would all be doing a little hula while waiting in that notoriously long security line.
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When making these muffins, don't be concerned with how runny the batter is. The batter's consistency reminded me much more of cupcake batter than muffin batter, and as a result the muffins were light and airy. Although tempting, don't skip the orange glaze, even though it requires an extra step the sweet and sour glaze is well worth the effort. I found this recipe from a wonderful vegan cookbook, the Candle Cafe Cookbook, which I would highly recommend to anyone interested in exploring more vegetarian/vegan cuisine.
*adapted from the Candle Cafe Cookbook
1 cup AP flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 TBSP ground flax seed + 3 TBSP water
3/4 cup orange juice
1 cup water
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 TBSP grated orange zest
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup diced pineapple
Orange glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
4 TBSP orange juice
2 tsp orange zest
toasted coconut (optional)
1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and grease or line a 12-tin muffin pan.
2. In a small bowl, combine flax seed and water. Stir and allow to thicken.
3. In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking powder and soda, salt, and whisk to combine. In a separate bowl, combine orange juice with flax seed mixture, and add 1 cup of water, the agave nectar, orange zest and oil. Mix until smooth. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Fold in the coconut and pineapple.
4. Pour the batter into the muffin tins and bake for 20-25 muffins. Set aside to cool.
5. For orange glaze: heat the orange juice in a small saucepan until bubbly, the add powdered sugar and zest. Take off heat and allow to stand for a few minutes. Drizzle over muffins and top with toasted coconut.