Magic Fruit and Veggie Cupcakes

I pulled this recipe out of the last Food Network magazine and just got around to making them today. Rebecca gave them a thumbs up! She ate 4 mini-muffins. They're good for cleaning out the pantry and crisper, and you can substitute for most of the ingredients.

This is the magazine recipe (my changes)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp. soy flour (I just did another Tbsp. of wheat flour)
2 Tbsp. wheat germ
1/2 cup bran flakes cereal or old-fashioned oats (or a combination - I did 1/2 cup whole grain oats and 1/2 cup rolled oats)
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1 large egg
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar, plus more for topping
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp. whole milk (I did 1/3 cup heavy cream and 1/3 c. plus 1 Tbsp. skim milk)
3/4 cup grated or finely chopped vegetables (carrots, zucchini, and/or spinach - I did all zucchini)
3/4 cup grated or finely chopped fresh or dried fruit (apples, pears, pineapple, and/or raisins) (I did 1/4 cup applesauce, 1/4 cup grated pears, and 1/4 cup chopped dried cranberries)

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a 24-cup mini muffin pan with paper liners or mist with cooking spray.

Whisk the flours, wheat germ, bran flakes/oats, flax seeds, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl; set aside. Beat the egg and brown sugar in a medium bowl with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add the olive oil, vanilla, milk, vegetables, and fruit and mix well. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until blended.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, filling each cup about three-quarters of the way. Sprinkle the tops with brown sugar if desired (I desired). Bake for 20-24 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool on a rack.