CRANBERRY-QUINOA MINI MUFFINS

A trio of quinoa, oats, and spelt brings a delicious grainy sweetness and nubby chewiness to these muffins. Orange zest and juice temper any tannic notes from the whole grains while accentuating their nutty nature. Cranberries deliver a pop of sweet-tartness. Dried mulberries, which taste like a cross between figs and golden raisins, are another good option.

TIPS:

•  If you only have old-fashioned oats on hand, you can pulse them a few times in a food processor to break them into smaller bits. Don’t bake them whole in the muffins; they will end up gummy.

•  Not all mini muffins can grow up into big muffins, but these can. They’ll make 16 standard muffins and take about 22 minutes to bake.

makes 4 dozen

no eggs, no nuts

1. Rinse the quinoa in a fine-mesh sieve under cold running water for 2 minutes, or until the water runs clear. Transfer to a small saucepan and stir in ¾ cup water and ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, 15 to 20 minutes; all the water should be absorbed. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff the quinoa with a fork and spread out on a plate to cool quickly, then measure out 1 cup. You may have a bit more; snack on it or save for another time.

2. Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Coat 48 mini muffin cups with cooking spray (or, if necessary, bake in batches).

3. Zest the orange into a small bowl. Whisk in the milk, oil, and egg; reserve.

4. Squeeze ¼ cup juice from the orange and pour into a small microwave-safe bowl. Stir in the cranberries. Microwave on high in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until all the juice is absorbed, about 1 minute. Cool completely.

5. Whisk the oats, both flours, both sugars, the baking powder, cardamom, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Add the milk mixture and stir until all traces of flour disappear. Fold in the cooled quinoa and fruit until evenly distributed. Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups.

6. Bake the muffins until a toothpick inserted in the center of a center muffin comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes.

7. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Carefully slide a small offset spatula or knife between each muffin and the pan to pop the muffins out. Cool on the rack until warm or at room temperature.

MAKE AHEAD

The muffins will keep at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.