Sweet Potato Muffins

I love to bake on Sunday mornings. And now that my son is 3, he's really into helping. I was going to make pumpkin muffins, but I'm getting a little tired of pumpkin these days, so instead I created a sweet potato muffin recipe. I'm sure it will be just as good with pumpkin puree. Probably any puree, like applesauce, mashed banana, or butternut squash. In fact, I bet this recipe is quite versatile in general: add nuts, raisins, chocolate chips, go crazy. My version is "naked" but really tasty. It was delicious with coffee and fruit, and should be a nice pairing with a savory soup too. I'm going to freeze some so there's always something yummy for my son's lunchbox over the next few preschool days.

By the way, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the fact that this recipe is quite nutritious. Sweet potato is PACKED with beta-carotene, and not a bad source of vitamin C, fiber, potassium, and iron. I analyzed the recipe with NutritionData.com, and here's what you get per muffin (click on the label image to see the values)--less than 150 calories, just 3 grams of fat, and about a third of the vitamin A you need in a day:

Weekend Sweet Potato Muffins

• 1/3 cup of organic, trans-fat-free shortening (such as Earth Balance)
• 1 cup vegan sugar
• Egg Replacer prepared as the equivalent of 2 eggs (1 tbsp E.R. + 1/4 cup water, beaten well)
• 1 15-ounce can sweet potato puree
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup hemp milk (you can substitute soy or rice milk)
• 1 cup organic all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp baking powder

Let shortening get to room temperature (or soften in nuker a few seconds at a time). Beat in a large bowl, using a hand beater, with sugar, prepared egg replacer, vanilla, and sweet potato puree.

In a medium bowl, whisk together ther remaining ingredients until well-blended. Add gradually to wet ingredients, folding in gently with a rubber scraper or large wooden spoon. When the ingredients are just mixed (don't overmix), fill 24 muffin pan cups evenly (a little more than 1/2 full for each) and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.