Sunday, June 30, 2024

Tastes & Treasures II has recipe for Morning Glory Muffins. The cookbook is now in Clarkdale, AZ Historical Society

Storytelling Cookbooks are more than just recipes and pretty pictures. Tastes & Treasures II: A Storytelling Cookbook of Historic Arizona is filled with history, Arizona Historymakers, family photos and memories. 

The book is now in Clarkdale Historical Society thanks to Historical League member Emily Burns.


We enjoy Morning Glory Muffins: a favorite recipe in the Cherished Legacy section on page 163.

MORNING GLORY MUFFINS

Tastes & Treasures II: A Storytelling  Cookbook of Historic Arizona

www.HistoricalLeague.org/shop

SECTION: Cherished Legacy Recipes page 163

MILDRED DROVER OAKE
CONTRIBUTED BY GRANDDAUGHTER, CANDICE FEDELE-MCLEOD
Born and raised on a farm in Newfoundland, Grandma Oake learned to cook with whatever the farm produced. Even though cod fishing dominated the region, the family ate salt pork with root vegetables, cabbage rolls, and steamed puddings. Hardtack, a cracker made to survive handling and extreme  temperatures on long sea voyages, is still produced in Newfoundland. Served with cod, the dish is a local delicacy called “fish and brews.” 

Hardtack never made it to the table at Grandma's house, but its simplicity was transmitted in her baking: a cold loaf of sweet-tart cranberry bread wrapped in foil, buttery yeast rolls, or chewy date squares. In an era of Crisco, she was ahead of her time, using healthy alternatives, like applesauce for oil. My favorite were her Morning Glory Muffins, which, at my request, became the substitute for my birthday cake each year. 

INGREDIENTS 

4 cups all-purpose flour 

1 1⁄2 cups brown sugar (agave syrup may be used and lower amount of sugar and oil) 

4 teaspoons baking soda 

4 teaspoons ground cinnamon 

1 teaspoon salt

4 cups grated carrots 

2 cups apples, peeled, cored and shredded 

2 cups raisins

1 cup shredded coconut

1⁄2 cup nuts, chopped (walnuts or pecans)

2 eggs 

1 cup canola oil (if using agave syrup, reduce oil to 3⁄4 cup) 

1 cup applesauce or drained crushed pineapple

4 teaspoons vanilla 

METHOD 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and generously grease 1-2 muffin tins. In large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, mixing together well. Stir in the carrots, apples, raisins, coconut and nuts. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs, oil, applesauce and vanilla. 

Combine the egg mixture with dry ingredients. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins, filling them up to the top. 

Bake for 22-25 minutes. 

Remove from the oven and allow muffins to rest for 5 minutes. Then remove from the tin and transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Repeat until all muffins are baked. 

This recipe makes about 40 muffins, and they freeze beautifully. 

CHERISHED LEGACIES          HISTORICAL LEAGUE, INC. • 163 

Note: Silicone mini muffin pans are an easy way to bake these. Spray PAM in the muffin pan before filling. Adjust baking time accordingly. 
Variations include using zucchini. orange zest, nutmeg.
 





Ben Avery 1993 Historymaker, Parks Advocate

 Ben Avery, an avid promoter of outdoor recreation, devoted six decades of his life to writing about Arizona and Southwestern subjects. Honored as 1993 AZ Historymaker, he was especially interested in Arizona State Parks and the Phoenix Mountain Preserve and would be so happy to know that Maricopa County Parks and Recreation are developing a master plan for the future.