Tropical Getaway Muffins

A big shout out to Lynda from Me and My Pink Mixer for naming these muffins in our Moms Meet Contest! If I were to also name them, I think I would call them the Use-Things-I-Got-For-Christmas-and-Act-Like-It’s-Not-Snowing-Outside Muffins. Really, though, Portland got some snow the day I baked these so Tropical Getaway Muffins sounded like the perfect way to get me mentally out of the cold and into the shade of beach, piña colada in hand . . . oops, I mean gluten free pineapple-coconut muffin in hand. I was super excited to use my (read: my boyfriend’s) new countertop mixer for the first time. You do not need a stand mixer for these super-easy muffins, but it was fun and I couldn’t resist! I used avocado oil as my vegetable oil or melted butter–it's my new favorite. The 2% milk I had in my fridge worked like a charm. Once I had mixed all the ingredients together (really, it’s that easy: put everything in a bowl together and mix) I decided to get creative, channel my Inner Tropical Being, and grate some fresh nutmeg that I (yes, I this time) got for Christmas. Wowza. Good call, Inner Tropical Being. Did you know how beautiful the inside of a nutmeg is, by the way? At my boyfriend’s plea, I also sprinkled some ginger powder on three of the muffins. That was also a good call and now I wish I’d put it on all of them. I had some extra batter leftover, so I made a Megamuffin in a glass storage container. What? I’ve never seen a muffin rule book that said I couldn’t. Plus it was the perfect size for two people to share! All in all, yet another recipe confirming my love for our new Gluten Free Muffin Mix. (Pats self on back.)

Tropical Getaway Muffins

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 22-25 minutes | Yields: 12 servings

• 16 oz Gluten Free Muffin Mix
• 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil or melted Butter
• 1 cup Milk
• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 cup drained Crushed Pineapple
• 1/2 cup Shredded Coconut plus extra for garnish

Step 1 Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a standard muffin pan, or line with paper baking cups. Step 2 Pour muffin mix into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and add oil or butter, milk, and eggs. Mix until well combined. Fold in crushed pineapple and shredded coconut. Step 3 Spoon batter into prepared muffin pan, filling each cup nearly to the top. Sprinkle each muffin with extra shredded coconut to garnish. Step 4 Bake until muffins are golden brown, about 22-25 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes.