Two-in-One Muffins

My friend bought me this little gadget a year ago.  I finally tried it out.

I made up two separate muffin recipes and ended up with 24 two-in-one muffins.

If you don't have a gadget like this I believe you could pour one batter in the bottom of your muffin paper and pour the second one on top.

For the dark half I used the Five Roses recipe for Date Bread:

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup boiling water

1  1/2 cups chopped dates

1  1/3 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 egg

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup walnuts

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup melted butter or marg

Dissolve baking soda in boiling water, pour over dates and let cool.  Combine flour, baking powder and salt.  Beat egg and gradually add brown sugar.  Add cooled date mixture, chopped nuts, vanilla and mix well.  Fold in dry ingredients. Add melted butter and mix well.  

For the light half I used the Five Roses recipe for basic muffins with a couple of additions:

2 cups flour

2 tbsps sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1/4 cup flax

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/4 cup melted butter or marg

Stir dry ingredients together.  In a small bowl combine beaten eggs, milk and melted butter.  Add to dry ingredients.

Stand the gadget in the muffin pan and pour one batter in each side, 2/3 full.

Bake in a preheated 400F oven for 20-25 minutes.

Next time I'll try it with cupcake batter.

Flax Seed Muffins with Orange and Bran

This is so COOL !!  You use the whole orange in this recipe.
I mean everything, peel and all!  And there's lots of other healthy stuff here too.

1  1/2 cups oat bran or oat flour
1 cup flour
1 cup ground flax seed
1 cup bran
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp salt

2 oranges (washed and quartered, zest 1)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup buttermilk (yogurt or soured milk)
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup dates, optional

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl, set aside.

Before pulverizing your oranges, zest one of them so you have a bit to sprinkle on top before baking. In a food processor combine brown sugar and oranges.
Here it is after just a few pulses.

Add the balance of the ingredients.

Pour into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix just until blended.  Add dates if using.

Fill muffin papers, sprinkle on the zest and bake in a 375F oven for 18-20 minutes.

Makes 21 medium muffins