Virtuous Apple Ginger Muffins

A favourite muffin inspired by a recipe by the lovely Sophie Dahl.  There is no sugar and the recipe uses spelt flour, oats and applesauce to keep it moist.  The result is a lighter-than-air treat that is moist, tasty and good for you....top that!  All this in an effort to increase my health efforts before Christmas...I even tried a very cool ballet-inspired fitness class this week...so between doing that and eating these muffins, I should be guilt-free by Christmas!  If only it were so easy.

What the heck...try the muffins...they are good.  'Nuff said.

Virtuous Apple Ginger Muffins

Sunflower oil (or paper cases)

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (or 1/8 tsp dry)

1 1/4 cup spelt flour (you can use whole wheat flour)

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

4 egg whites, lightly beaten

1/2 cup greek or natural yogurt

3/4 cup agave syrup or honey

1 firm apple, peeled, cored and diced

3/4 cup of raisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F.

Grease a 12 hole muffin tin with sunflower oil or use paper cases.

Sift baking powder, soda, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg into a large mixing bowl.  Stir in flour and oats.  Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add in all the wet ingredients, apple and raisins.  Stir very gently just until dry ingredients are folded into the batter.  Pour batter into muffin tins.  You can garnish each with a thin slice of apple, if you like.

Bake for 25 - 30 mins until tops are brown.  Serve warm with apple butter.

Pumpkin Muffins - Fall has arrived!!

Ahhh...Autumn!  I love summer, but there is something so comforting about the arrival of fall.  Z says that September is really like New Years, since it is the time when school starts and everyone gets back 'at it' from the lazy summer months.  A renewal of sorts.  And I love pulling out the warm woolly sweaters and boots.   I had my first pumpkin spice latte of the season today.  It inspired thoughts of an old favourite recipe for pumpkin muffins from my university days.    Not really health-conscious per se....so I've added a couple of options to lighten them up in brackets.  Personally, the full recipe without modification is still the best.  Everything in moderation, right?  These are best fresh out of the oven, while still warm and crumbly....preferably with a hot tea on the deck with crunchy, coloured leaves underfoot.  

Pumpkin Muffins

4 eggs
1 cup sugar  (3/4 works okay too)
1 cup veg oil (or 1/2 cup veg oil and 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce)
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup raisins or dried cranberries
3 cups whole wheat flour (or 2 cups whole wheat flour and 1 cup whole spelt flour)
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp soda
2 tsp powder
1 tsp salt

Beat eggs, sugar, oil (and applesauce, if using) and pumpkin.  Mix well.  Sift together dry ingredients.  Add to egg mixture with raisins (or cranberries) and mix until just combined.  Bake at 400F for 15 mins.

Blueberry Muffins Extraordinaire

It's cold outside and right now there are snowball-sized snowflakes falling gracefully from the sky...time for comfort food.  I have always been a fan of blueberry muffins.  I know they are not as healthy as they sound...really just small cupcakes, un-iced.  Well, maybe not that bad, but certainly not diet-food.  It's okay, because when it's cold you need warmth and comfort.  Well here it is...

Blueberry Muffins Extraordinaire

1/2 cup melted butter (cooled)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sa;t
2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1 tsp lemon zest (optional)

Preheat oven to 375F.  Line a 12 cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
Whisk the butter, eggs and milk in a bowl.  In another bowl (or bowl of stand mixer), whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Add wet ingredients all at once to the dry ingredients and stir until just blended.  (Don't stir too long or the mix will become goopy and the muffins will be tough when baked).  Fold in blueberries and lemon zest (if using).  Divide among the muffin cups and sprinkle the muffins with one teaspoon of sugar.  Bake until a toothpick comes clean and the muffins are golden, 25 - 30 mins.
Eat warm...if you want to be really bad, spread with butter before eating.  Enjoy with a nice cup of tea.