Bran Cereal Muffins

This very simple recipe begins with crushed bran cereal making for a dense, hearty breakfast muffin, which is also low in fat and sugar keeping it healthier than many muffin recipes. I use bran cereal with raisins and add ground cinnamon, or apple pie spice, for extra sweetness and flavor. These muffins make for a fast, good-for-you breakfast on a busy morning. Blessings...

Recipe:

3 cups bran cereal flakes with raisins, crushed into small pieces, but not finely crushed.
3/4 cup unbleached flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon or 1-1/2 tsp. apple pie spice
1 egg
1 cup 1% milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil or light olive oil

1. In a large bowl, combine first 6 ingredients.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, milk and oil.
3. Pour egg mixture into dry ingredients and mix with a spoon until well-combined.
4. Grease 12 medium muffin cups and fill each about 2/3 full.
5. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until muffins test done with a toothpick. There should be a few crumbs on the toothpick or the muffins will be far too dry.

Yield: 12 muffins
161 calories each
2.7 gms. fiber each

Eggnog Muffins

I've found that most people have a love/hate relationship with eggnog. My husband absolutely loves eggnog and can't wait until there is a carton in our refrigerator; my son won't allow the stuff to pass his lips, no matter what. In recipes, I have found that the flavor of eggnog is muted and still noticeable, but not overwhelming. What I really like about using eggnog in muffins and breads, is the moistness that it adds to the finished product. In this recipe the addition of golden raisins, or chopped, dried apricots, and nutmeg, make for a very festive addition to the breakfast menu. Blessings...

Recipe:

3 cups unbleached flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 egg
1-3/4 cups eggnog
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup golden raisins or chopped, dried apricots
1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients.
2. In another bowl, combine the egg, eggnog and oil; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
    Stir in raisins and pecans.
3. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full; approximately 1/4 cup batter per cup.
4. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 
    minutes before removing from pans to a wire rack.

Yield: 16 muffins

This recipe was adapted from a "Taste of Home Cookbook".

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

My family loves pumpkin in just about any form; breads, muffins, soup, cookies and cake are all favorites. These muffins, made with mini-chocolate chips, are a favorite way to use up leftover pumpkin. This is my variation of a recipe that comes from "Betty Crocker's Christmas Cookbook", a favorite cookbook that I have used for years. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 egg white (1/4 cup)
1/2 cup 1% milk
1/2 cup pure pumpkin, not pie mix
1/2 cup mini-chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup unbleached flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk egg white, milk, pumpkin, chocolate chips, and butter together.
2. In a separate bowl combine dry ingredients and add to wet ingredients all at once. Stir just until combined.
3. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease bottoms only of 12 medium muffin cups. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Yield: 12 muffins
172 calories each
1.7 grams fiber each

Tip: Leftover pumpkin can be frozen for a future use. If, when you want to use the remaining thawed pumpkin, you find that you are lacking all that you need for your recipe, boiled, mashed carrots can be substituted. I have found that I can substitute up to 1/4 cup mashed carrots very successfully.

Fruit Bran Muffins

Bran muffins are a favorite of mine, and this recipe from Better Homes and Gardens "75 Years of All-Time Favorites" cookbook is no exception. What sets this recipe apart from other recipes, is the addition of fresh fruit rather than raisins. That isn't to say that raisins couldn't be used; my favorite addition is cut-up dried apricots in place of the fresh fruit. So, be creative and use whatever your family will like. These muffins are great on their own with a bowl of fruit for breakfast, but would be equally good alongside a brunch casserole or quiche. Blessings...

Recipes: 

1-1/2 cups whole bran cereal, such as All-Bran Original
1 cup milk (I use 1%)
1 egg
1/4 cup cooking oil
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots.
The recipe is written for 1 cup fresh fruit ( such as chopped, peeled apples, apricots, nectarines, peaches, or plums; halved dark sweet cherries; whole blueberries or raspberries; or chopped bananas)

1. Lightly grease 12 muffin cups or line with paper bake cups.
2. In a small mixing bowl combine bran cereal and milk; let stand 3 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in egg and oil; set aside.
3. In a separate bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, lemon peel, and salt.
4. Add bran mixture all at once, stirring just until moistened (batter will be thick). Fold in fruit.
5. Fill prepared muffin cups two-thirds full of batter. Bake in 400 degree oven 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Yield: 12 muffins
140 calories each according to the cookbook
4 gms. fiber each according to the cookbook
3 gms. fiber each using 1/2 cup dried apricots

Apple-Cinnamon Muffins

A few weeks ago, I invited my friend, Patti, over for lunch and a time of getting caught-up with each other. We had a wonderful time of visiting over a very simple meal of Cream of Pumpkin Soup, the recipe was posted on 8/21/2014, fruit, and these Apple-Cinnamon Muffins. The pieces of fresh apple add wonderful flavor along with the cinnamon, and make for a moist muffin. With the encouragement of my husband and Patti, I added a cinnamon-sugar sprinkle to the top of each muffin. In Patti's words, "you can never have too much sugar". You were so right, Patti, the topping added a whole new layer of flavor that we loved. A cup of chai, recipe posted on 8/22/2014, added a bit more "warm" spice flavor to our time together. Blessings...

Recipe:

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
3 large eggs
2/3 cup milk (I use 1%)
6 tbsp. butter, melted
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup peeled, seeded and finely chopped apple

Topping:
2 tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1. Grease 12 muffin cups. Set aside
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
3. Combine the eggs, milk, butter, and vanilla in a bowl and mix well.
4. Beat in the brown sugar, then add the flour mixture. Stir in the apple, but do not overmix; batter should be lumpy.
5. Divide batter among the cups.
6. Combine the sugar and cinnamon for the topping; sprinkle over the muffins.
7. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 18 to 22 minutes, or just until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Remove the muffins to a wire rack to cool or serve warm.

Yield: 12 medium muffins
189 calories each
1 gm. fiber

This recipe comes from Lee Bailey's "Country Desserts" cookbook.

Blueberry Cake Muffins

Blueberry muffins are a delicious breakfast treat, and the fresh berries in the market this time of year are especially good to use in place of  frozen berries because of their firm texture. They are much easier to incorporate into the batter and the batter doesn't turn blue like it does with frozen berries. These tasty muffins are dense and buttery rich with just a hint of nutmeg; a real family favorite. Blessings...

Recipe:

1-1/2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk (I use 1%)
2 cups fresh or thawed frozen and drained blueberries

1. Grease 12 medium muffin-pan cups (2-1/2 x 1-1/4-inches).
2. Stir together first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. In large bowl, with electric mixer at high speed, beat butter with sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, occasionally scraping side of bowl and beaters with rubber scraper.
4. At low speed, beat in flour mixture (in fourths) alternately with milk (in thirds), beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat just until smooth.
5. With rubber scraper, gently fold in blueberries just until combined.
6. Scoop about 1/3 cup batter into each prepared muffin cup. Do not level batter.
7. Bake in 375 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden-brown and cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.
8. Remove pan to wire rack and allow to sit for 3 to 5 minutes before removing muffins to rack to cool completely. If the berries are large and heavy they will sink to the bottom making the muffins heavy. Leaving them in the muffin cups for a few minutes helps to set the muffins for easier handling and removal.

Yield: 12
233 calories each
1.6 gms. fiber

This recipe was adapted from The New McCall's Cook Book.

Maple Crumb Muffins

My son absolutely loved these muffins when he was growing up. My husband and I also like them, but our son was the one who would regularly ask for them, and years later requested the recipe when he was out on his own. I use pure maple syrup so they are rather pricey to make, but maple flavored syrup or even honey could certainly be used with good results. This recipe did come from a special section on inn cooking that Woman's Day Magazine did years ago. This particular recipe came from the Vernon Stiles Inn in Thompson, Connecticut. I don't know if the inn is still open, but my family sure appreciates the chef's contribution to our breakfasts for all of these years. The muffins are cake-like in texture and rich, perfect for a weekend family breakfast. Blessings...

Recipe:

2 cups flour
2 tsps. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup maple syrup

1. Mix dry ingredients in medium bowl.
2. Whisk together egg, sour cream and syrup, and stir into flour mixture.
3. Spoon into 12 well-greased muffin cups.

Topping:
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup melted butter

1. Mix ingredients together until crumbly and sprinkle over muffin batter.
2. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 - 25 minutes or until muffins test done with a toothpick.

Yield: 12 muffins
232 calories each

Wheat Germ Muffins

This muffin recipe is a favorite to serve with soup or a main dish salad. Here the muffins are pictured with the Cashew Chicken Salad with Sesame Dressing that was posted on 3/27/2014. The molasses imparts a deep, rich flavor in the muffins and they are wholesome and nutritious with the addition of wheat germ. Years ago wheat germ was all the rage, but not much is mentioned about it anymore. This is a shame as it is an easy addition to most bread products and is loaded with vitamin E and folic acid. Muffins are generally thought of as a breakfast staple but they are a great addition to the evening meal. Blessings...

Recipe:

1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 tbsps. sugar

2 tsps. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 cup wheat germ

1 egg

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup molasses

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium-size bowl.

2. In a small bowl, combine next 4 ingredients and stir with a fork making sure egg is thoroughly incorporated.

3. Stir the liquid ingredients into the flour mixture just until the liquid is absorbed. The batter will be lumpy.

4. Spoon into 12 medium-size, greased, muffin cups, filling each two-thirds full.

5. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out almost clean. Don't over bake or they will be dry and crumbly. Remove from pan immediately and serve warm, or cool on a wire rack for later use.

Yield: 12
This wonderful recipe is adapted from The Family Circle Cookbook.

Corn Muffins

I've never made corn muffins, only cornbread, which has been a family favorite forever. When I came across this recipe in Cook's Illustrated Magazine I decided to give it a try so that we could compare corn muffins to cornbread. We love both! The difference with the muffins is the larger amount of sugar in them compared to the cornbread that I've been making for years. These muffins are light, sweet, and so tender they could be served for breakfast, as well as alongside a bowl of chili, soup, or as we did, alongside the Potato Kielbasa Skillet recipe that was posted yesterday. This recipe comes very highly recommended from my hubby! Blessings...

Recipe:

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup fine-ground, whole-grain yellow cornmeal (I use Alber's)
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a standard muffin tin.
2. Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl to combine; set aside.
3. Whisk eggs in second medium bowl until well combined and light-colored, about 20 seconds.
4. Add sugar to eggs; whisk vigorously until thick and homogeneous, about 30 seconds; add melted butter in 3 additions, whisking to combine after each addition. Add half the sour cream and half the milk and whisk to combine; whisk in remaining sour cream and milk until combined.
5. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients; mix gently with rubber spatula until batter is just combined and evenly moistened. Do not over-mix. Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, divide batter evenly among muffin cups, dropping it to form mounds. Do not level or flatten surface of mounds.
6. Bake until muffins are light golden brown and toothpick inserted into center of muffins comes out clean, about 18 minutes, rotating muffin tin from front to back halfway through baking time. Cool muffins in tin 5 minutes, then remove muffins to wire rack to cool, or serve warm.

Yield: 1 dozen

Coffee Pecan Muffins

Today I'm sharing another wonderful recipe from "Seasonal Celebrations Across America". This muffin recipe comes from a bed and breakfast located in the historic Guadalupe district of Old Santa Fe, New Mexico called Dos Casas Viejas, and again, I don't know if this bed and breakfast is still in business or not.

The combination of dark brown sugar, pecans and a bit of coffee makes for a deliciously different muffin from anything I had ever made before. They are an excellent addition to brunch, breakfast, or alone as a snack with a cup of coffee or tea. Once again, I have made a few changes to the original recipe over the years, but by and large, the recipe is as it was created. Blessings...

Recipe:

3/4 cup chopped pecans

1 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

3 tsps. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 tbsps. strong coffee

1 tsp. vanilla

1. Grease 12 muffin cups.

2. In a large bowl, combine flours, brown sugar, baking powder and salt; mix well.

3. In another bowl, lightly beat egg. Add milk, butter, coffee and vanilla; blend well.

4. Add liquid mixture to flour mixture; mix just until combined. Fold in chopped pecans. Spoon batter into greased muffin cups.

5. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm with butter. Yummy!

Yield: 12
221 calories 

Poppy Seed Muffins

These muffins are terrific for breakfast, alongside a salad or soup for lunch, or for a quick snack for the kids. This recipe is another one of those that is easy to put together with the time saving use of biscuit/baking mix and they bake-up very light and tender.
Blessings...

Recipe:

1-1/2 cups biscuit/baking mix
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp. poppy seed
2 eggs
2/3 cup light sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla

1. In a bowl, combine the first 3 ingredients.
2. In another bowl, combine the eggs, sour cream and vanilla with a whisk or fork; stir into dry ingredients just until combined.
3. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full.
4. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan to a wire rack. Serve warm.

Yield: 12

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Pumpkin Date Muffins

The combination of pumpkin and chopped dates in these muffins makes for a wonderful breakfast treat. Because dates are loaded with natural sugar, less white sugar is needed than what is typically called for in a pumpkin muffin. I've made some recipes that are so heavy with pumpkin, butter and brown sugar that they are unappealing. These muffins turn out light and delicious, with only a bit of oil used. Have a blessed weekend with your family...

Recipe:

2 cups biscuit/baking mix such as Bisquick
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
2 tbsps. vegetable oil
2/3 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup chopped dates (not sugared pieces)

1. Measure the biscuit mix into a bowl. Remove about 2 tbsps. and add to the chopped dates in a separate bowl. Mix with your fingers to break a part the sticky pieces of the dates so that they will be evenly dispersed in the muffins.
2. Add the sugar and spices to the remaining biscuit mix and stir to combine.
3. In another small bowl, using a fork, combine the egg, milk, oil and pumpkin puree. Stir the dates and the pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients; mix well.
4. Fill well-greased muffin cups 3/4 full and bake in a 400 degree oven for 18-20 minutes or until muffins test done with a toothpick. Serve warm, or cool on wire rack to serve later.

Yield: 12 muffins

Cranberry Pecan Muffins

If you haven't guessed by now, I love cranberries and it doesn't matter what time of the year it is, but it is especially true during the holiday season. I clipped this recipe out of a Family Circle Magazine years ago and it is probably my favorite cranberry muffin.
The cranberry and lemon flavor is bright and zesty; perfect for breakfast or snack. Blessings...

Recipe:

1-1/2 cups coarsely chopped cranberries
1-1/4 cups sugar, divided
3 cups sifted unbleached flour
4-1/2 tsps. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tsps. grated lemon rind
2 eggs
1 cup milk

1. In a small bowl, combine the chopped cranberries and 1/4 cup sugar. Stir and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt and remaining 1 cup sugar. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Stir in pecans and lemon rind.
3. In a small bowl, beat eggs until light; stir in milk.
4. Add liquid all at once to flour mixture, stirring just until moist with a spoon. Stir in cranberry mixture.
5. Spoon batter into greased medium-size muffin pan cups, filling each 2/3 full.
6. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 18-20 minutes or until muffins test done with a toothpick. Be careful to not over bake as they will get very crumbly. Cool on wire racks or serve warm from the oven.

Yield: 1 dozen
Note: 2 cups whole fresh cranberries will result in the 1-1/2 cups chopped called for in the recipe.

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

I received a great deal of zucchini and summer squash from a neighbor this summer and since there are only two of us, I was scrambling for ways to use it up. We've been through so much unemployment over the years that I've learned how to use just about anything that comes into my kitchen. My mom taught me the old adage of "waste-not, want-not", so food does not go into the garbage in our home, except on rare occasions. Since my hubby isn't a big fan of squash, muffins, breads and soups are a great way of using them up. This is another recipe that makes very good use of zucchini, and the chocolate chips add extra flavor. Blessings...

Recipe: 

1-1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup wheat bran (or additional flour)
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. apple pie spice or ground cinnamon (we think the apple pie spice is the best)
2 egg whites (or 1 whole egg)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup natural applesauce
1/4 cup 1% milk
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup shredded zucchini
1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped pecans

1. In a bowl, combine first six ingredients.
2. In another bowl, combine egg whites, oil, applesauce, milk, lemon juice and vanilla; mix well and stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
3. Stir in zucchini, chocolate chips and pecans.
4. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 - 25 minutes or until muffins test done with a toothpick. Cool on wire rack.

Yield:  12
Note: Do not finely shred zucchini as this will produce too much moisture and cause the muffins to be heavy.
207 calories per muffin made with bran and egg whites.
1.6 gms. fiber

Easy Orange Juice Muffins

These muffins are so easy to make that children could help get breakfast on thetable on the weekend. The plus to the ease of this recipe is using a biscuit/baking mix. I've been making this recipe for years when time is short and I want to do something simple. A real help on busy days.

The orange flavor is very mild and nicely enhanced by the sugar and spice mixture that is sprinkled on the tops of the muffins before baking. Another real benefit is that they are low in calories and fat. We love them served with orange marmalade. Blessings...

Recipe:

2 cups biscuit/baking mix
2 tbsps. sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. grated orange zest
2/3 cup orange juice

Topping:
2 tbsps. sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin tin.
2. Mix first 5 ingredients; beat vigorously 30 seconds. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.
3. Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle each muffin with about 1/2 tsp sugar mixture.
4. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes or until muffins test done with a toothpick. Remove to wire rack to cool or serve warm with honey butter or marmalade.

Yield: 12
97 calories each

Double Fudge Muffins

Oh, these muffins are wonderful. This recipe goes back to one of my old Bon Appetit magazines, 25 years ago to be exact. The writer of the recipe called it a dessert muffin, but we don't think that way in our family. A muffin is for breakfast or brunch in our house, but these are rich and are saved for special times. This recipe is easy, but does take a little longer to make than most muffin recipes. I serve them with fruit, some form of eggs, and a breakfast meat for a terrific Saturday or Sunday brunch. 
Recipe:

5 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (if you don't have a scale, this is a scant cup, or just between 3/4 cup and 1 cup.)
2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate (2 squares)
1/3 cup butter
3/4 cup low-fat sour cream
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 large egg, room temp.
1-1/4 teaspoons vanilla
1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously grease 16 2-1/2" muffin cups or line with foil baking cups.
2. Melt first 3 ingredients together in a double boiler set over barely simmering water. Stir until smooth. Remove chocolate from over water to cool slightly.
3. Whisk the sugar into the chocolate. Add sour cream, corn syrup, egg and vanilla and whisk until combined.
4. Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix in the chocolate chips.
5. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add chocolate mixture to well; stir into dry ingredients until just blended (batter will be lumpy).
6. Spoon batter into prepared cups, filling each 3/4 full.
7. Bake muffins until tester inserted in center comes out moist and almost clean, about 20 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Remove from pan and serve warm.

Serves 16
Tip: If you don't have a double boiler, the chocolate and butter can be melted in the microwave. Be careful to heat and stir slowly so as not to burn the chocolate. Also, the foil baking cups work so much better than greasing the muffin pan. Much less mess and the muffins to not stick to the cups with this recipe.

Cranberry Wheat Muffins

This recipe for wheat muffins is one that I have been working on for a while. Muffins made with wheat bran or whole wheat flour can be a little tricky because the recipe can easily turn out to be dry and crumbly, which is exactly what you don't want, but whole grains are so good for us that it is worth the effort to make them. This recipe turned out a good muffin that we enjoyed for breakfast last week. The one thing that you might want to do is to add more chopped cranberries for more flavor. Also, do check the baking time at 12 minutes as these muffins bake fast and you for sure don't want to over bake them. Over baking really drys out baked products.

Recipe:

1 egg or 1/4 cup egg substitute
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/8 cup packed brown sugar
1-1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1/2 cup unprocessed wheat bran
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 cup dried sweetened cranberries (like Craisens) larger pieces cut in half

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a medium sized 12-cup muffin pan.
2. Beat together egg, butter and buttermilk in a medium size bowl; stir in brown sugar until sugar is dissolved.
3. In another bowl combine dry ingredients and cranberries.
4. Add dry ingredients to liquid mixture and mix just until combined. Evenly distribute batter into muffin cups.
5. Bake 12-15 minutes or until muffins test done with a toothpick.
6. Remove immediately to a wire rack to cool.

123 calories each made with whole egg
120 calories each made with egg substitute
1.8 grams fiber each

Oatmeal Raisen Muffins

We love muffins served with a cup of tea and fruit for breakfast. These are a nice change from cereal, but you still get some of the whole grains so necessary for health. I like them with the honey butter recipe that I will also post, but certainly regular butter is wonderful.

Recipe:

1 cup quick-cooking oats
1-1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk
1 egg
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. In a small bowl, combine oats and buttermilk.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the egg, brown sugar and oil using a fork; stir in the oat mixture.
3. Combine the dry ingredients; stir into the batter just until moistened. Fold in the raisens and nuts.
4. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full.
5. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.

Yield:1 dozen
2.6 grams fiber each
These muffins are pictured on the "Chai Tea" post.

Honey Butter
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons milk
1-1/2 tablespoons honey or to taste
Beat butter until creamy. Add milk and honey and beat on high speed for about 10 minutes or until light and fluffy.