Millet Muffins

Yes, millet muffins. I know, they hardly sound sexy, but these sweet and pleasantly textured little muffins are one of my new favorite things.

This recipe comes from the cookbook that anyone who reads food blogs is already well aware of: Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Every Day. I'll admit that I might have just skipped right over this recipe if I hadn't had some millet muffins at a B&B in California wine country earlier this year. Everyone ooh-ed and ahh-ed over the mysterious and surprisingly satisfying crunch.

Millet is touted as a heart-healthy grain, but these little muffins actually contain their fair share of butter and honey. I tempted fate even further by subbing out the plain yogurt for sour cream (yum!). Not exactly health food, but that's okay... just keep thinking about those whole grains.

Millet Muffins

• 2 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour

• 1/3 cup raw millet

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp sea salt

• 1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream

• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

• 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter

• 1/2 cup honey

• grated zest and 2 tbs juice from 1 lemon

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
2. Whisk together the flour, millet, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, mix together yogurt, eggs, butter, honey, and lemon zest and juice until smooth. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until the flour is just incorporated. Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling the cups just below the rim.
3. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the muffin tops are browned and just beginning to crack. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then turn muffins out of the pan to cool completely on a wire rack. Makes 12 muffins.