What's Cooking? Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins

Orange Puree

Ever since I discovered the Sneaky Chef I am so impressed with her recipes.  I really love muffins and these are so easy to whip up and they are yummy and packed full of nutrition.  First I made Orange Puree and froze it in a muffin tin (1/4 cup portions).  Freeze, pop out and put in freezer bags.  Thaw out what you want to use in your recipes.

Makes 8 Large Muffins:
(or 16 mini muffins)
- 1 cup Flour Blend (1/3 cup whole grain flour,
1/3 cup white flour, 1/3 cup wheat germ)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- One-half teaspoon baking soda
- One-half teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- One-quarter cup brown sugar
- One-quarter cup canola oil
- Three-quarters cup Orange Puree (see Make-Ahead Recipe #2)
- Three-quarters cup smooth peanut butter
- 8 heaping teaspoons favorite jam*
*Note: Jelly doesn't work as well as the thicker variety of jam; jelly just disappears into the muffins.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with paper liners.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until well combined, then whisk in the oil, Orange Puree and peanut butter. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet and mix until flour is just moistened (don't over-mix or the muffins will be dense).

Scoop about two tablespoons of batter into the large muffin cups until half full. Place a heaping teaspoon of jam in the center of each muffin. Cover the jam with another 2 tablespoons or so of batter, filling the cups just over the top. If you're using mini muffin cups, scale back quantities to fit into the smaller sized cups.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tops are golden brown.

**If you child is allergic to peanut butter, use an alternative like almond butter. I tried it and it's just fine!**