Until the episode on parsnips my knowledge level on the root veggies was a childhood misconception they were just white carrots. And, of course, as he seems to always do, Alton Brown made these oft overlooked foodstuff interesting and mouth-watering.
The first item from "Undercover Veggies" to catch my attention was the parsnip muffins. This was certainly something different but familiar enough to be easily created.
For my version of the muffins, I had to omit the almond topping. However, the rest of the muffin followed AB's application.
I found three mighty fine specimens in the produce bin to become the backbone of the muffins.
The muffins have a slight nutty and spicy taste. Lusciously moist. There is no way to know these muffins contain veggies or specifically parsnips.
I'm already planing to make another dozen!
AB's parsnip muffins:
Ingredients
- 1-ounce sliced almonds
- Nonstick spray
- 8 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 whole eggs
- 3/4 cup plain whole milk yogurt
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 8 ounces sugar
- 10 ounces grated parsnips
Directions
Place the almonds in a single layer in a pie pan and place in oven. Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake the nuts until lightly toasted, approximately 20 minutes while the oven heats. Meanwhile, spray a standard 12-cup muffin tin with the nonstick spray and set aside.
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt in the bowl of a food processor, and process for 5 seconds.
Whisk the eggs, yogurt, vegetable oil, and sugar in a large mixing bowl until combined. Add the flour mixture and parsnips, and fold with a spatula until all of the flour is moistened, there will be some lumps. Divide the mixture evenly among the muffin cups using a level 2 1/2-ounce disher or 1/3 cup measure. Sprinkle the top of each muffin with the toasted almonds. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the muffins reach an internal temperature of 210 degrees F and are golden brown, rotating halfway through baking. If needed, use a small knife or offset spatula to loosen the muffins and immediately remove them from the tin to a cooling rack, and cool for 15 minutes. Serve warm. Store completely cooled muffins in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
That was circa 2004 and all of these years later my go to cornbread is AB's "Cornbread No Chaser." The only tweak made to it is using buttermilk instead of milk as listed. I prefer the added twang and throwback to my grandmother's style.
