Maple Cinnamon Squash Muffins with Cinnamon Sugar Crust

Makes approximately 25 small muffins.

Ingredients:

1¾ cup organic unbleached white flour
1 cup organic oat flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder, slightly rounded
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 large cage-free organic egg whites
½ cup vanilla seltzer water
½ cup organic whole milk
1 cup organic maple yogurt
¼ cup diced organic celery
½ cup organic walnut oil
1 small acorn squash
¾ cup organic pure maple syrup
3 teaspoons maple extract
⅓ cup dark brown sugar, packed down
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Topping:
⅓ cup of organic cane sugar
1 tablespoon of cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Prepare the acorn squash in advance. Slice a small acorn squash length-wise, place the halves face down in ½ cup of water in a baking pan, and cover the pan. Bake at 350F for 1 hour or until squash is tender. Remove seeds and pulp. Scoop out the squash, mash it and set it aside.
2. Keep the oven at 350F for the muffins.
3. Grease the muffin pans, making sure to grease the top so that the “muffin tops” don’t stick.
4. Preheat the oven to 350F.
5. In a large mixing bowl, sift the dry ingredients together: white flour, oat flour, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.
6. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until they’re frothy.
7. Add the seltzer water to the egg whites and whisk together.
8. Add the milk and the yogurt to the egg white mixture, whisking until well blended.
9. Rinse a stalk of celery, remove the stringy exterior skin with a knife, cut it in half and dice it. This should be about ¼ cup of celery.
10. In a food processor, purée the celery with the walnut oil and 1 cup of mashed acorn squash.
11. Add the squash purée to the egg white mixture, whisking until well blended.
12. Add the maple syrup, maple extract and brown sugar to the squash-egg mixture, whisking until brown sugar dissolves.
13. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and slowly add the liquid ingredients, blending slowly. Don’t over stir the batter.
14. Fold in the chopped walnuts (optional).
15. Mix ¼ cup of sugar with 1 tablespoon of cinnamon in a cup.
16. Fill the muffin pan holes about ¾ of the way and sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon mixture on top of the batter in the muffin pans.
17. Bake for 16 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
18. When still warm, top the muffins with Maple Cinnamon Whipped Cream (see below). Drizzle with maple syrup. Serve immediately.

Shortcut: use jarred baby food instead of homemade squash purée.

Maple Cinnamon Whipped Cream

Ingredients:

1 pint heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons organic maple extract

Instructions:

1. Chill a metal mixing bowl and metal beaters in the freezer before using.
2. Whip cream until it forms soft peaks.
3. Add the powdered sugar and cinnamon and continue to whip until slightly harder peaks form.
4. Add the maple extract, whip until combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.