Whole Wheat Sunflower Seed Muffins

1¼ cups stone-ground whole what flour, spooned in and levelled

½ cup all-purpose flour, spooned in and levelled

½ cup very fresh dark brown sugar

¼ cup granulated sugar

⅓ cup plus 3 tablespoons salted sunflower seeds, toasted

2 tbsp stone-ground cornmeal

1 tbsp wheat germ

1½ tsp ground cinnamon

¾ tsp ground ginger

¾ tsp salt

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp ground nutmeg

2 large eggs

¾ cup plain yogurt (not low fat)

½ cup canola oil

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp freshly grated lemon zest

1 medium apple, peeled, cored, grated (about ⅔ cup)

Position the rack in the lower third of the oven. Heat the oven to 375 ºF. Line a muffin pan with paper cupcake liners.

In a large bowl, thoroughly whisk together the whole wheat and all-purpose flours, the brown and granulated sugars, the ⅓ cup sunflower seeds, the cornmeal, wheat germ, cinnamon, ginger, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt, oil, vanilla, and zest. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the liquids and the apple. Using am oversize rubber spatula, incorporate the dry ingredients into the liquids by pushing them from the side of the bowl to the centre. Stir just to blend.

Portion the batter into the prepared pan using a no. 16 ice cream scoop (¼-cup capacity). Fill the cups until almost full. Sprinkle a generous ½ tsp of sunflower seeds evenly over the top of each muffin.

Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until the muffins are golden brown and the tops are springy to the touch. To ensure even baking, toward the end of baking time, rotate pans top to bottom and front to back. Remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool.

Storage: Store at room temperature, tightly wrapped in foil, for up to 3 days. These muffins may be frozen. Makes 12 muffins.

Source: Great Coffee Cakes, Sticky Buns, Muffins & More, 2007