Carrot, Orange and Ginger Pulp Muffins

I've been on a juice kick for about a month now.  Every time I juice I am left with this amazing pulp.  Sometimes it's celery, green apple and ginger, other times it's orange, carrots, beets and ginger.  This past week my breakfast juice has been carrots, orange and ginger.  Any of these combo's yields the most beautiful, amazing pulp that I feel guilty for just throwing away - it is so colorful and smells AMAZING!!!  I was putting it in the garden for the critters, but knew I could somehow repurpose it for our own enjoyment.   So, in my quest to recreate my pulp I came up with this muffin recipe and I am glad I did.  These are yummy right out of the oven, or warmed for 30 seconds with a dab of butter (yes, a healthy fat) or drizzled with honey.  Hope you enjoy these as much as we did, there will be more pulp recipes to come, no doubt! 

Serves: 12

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 c white or whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• ½ c honey (I substituted with organic maple syrup)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract (if you don’t have they still turn out yummy)
• 1 c applesauce (unsweetened, sweetened, regular, cinnamon, chunky…whatever)
• 1 cup juice pulp

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. 
3. In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt.
4. Make a small well in the center of dry ingredients; add butter, honey or syrup, egg, vanilla extract, and applesauce.
5. Stir ingredients together until just combined (do not over mix).
6. Fold in juice pulp until just combined (again, don’t over mix).
7. Divide batter evenly among muffin tin. 
8. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out clean.
9. Remove and cool completely. 
10. Serve warm with butter or honey.  
11. Will keep in airtight container for 2 to 3 days, or freeze.

*These are good source of fiber; add scoop of protein powder for protein muffins