Recipe: Blueberry Allspice Muffins

Recipe: Blueberry Allspice Muffins


Okay, I whined enough in yesterday's post-- now it's back to the food!

These ain’t your bakery muffins. Nor are they too sweet and contain a lot of fat. These are the kind of muffins we have for breakfast (Muffin Monday, anyone???), not the type which you buy in a bakery or make for a special brunch. First, they are kind of plain. And they are not topped or filled. But what they are makes them entirely appropriate for eating every day-- spicy, lowfat, a healthy breakfast which can be made ahead of time and frozen, then thawed in the microwave or toaster oven on those busy days.

The idea for these muffins came from Laura’s blog and the recipe which she reviewed for Allspice Crumb Muffins . The allspice intrigued me (I ordinarily use cinnamon or a baking spice mix from Penzey's in muffins), but when I looked closely at the ingredients I knew that I would have to make some changes. Five tablespoons of butter in the streusel, and another 8 tablespoons in the batter, plus whole milk and whole eggs made them a bit on the “heavy” side both fat- and calorie-wise. I have no doubt that these are delectable muffins, but I needed to make them more acceptable to our diet so that we could enjoy them more often.

Anyone who has been reading my writing for the past year+ knows that I’m a big advocate of using pear puree to sub for oil in everything from quick breads to brownies. Sometimes, in certain recipes, I even substitute the puree for butter. Although the butter in this muffin recipe will add flavor and a very tender crumb, I decided to use pear puree and oil instead and see what happened. Also, I have found that yogurt adds a nice texture and moistness to baked goods (I have used it in everything from cinnamon rolls to waffles to scones with success), so I added some lowfat yogurt as well. And I used some egg whites instead of all whole eggs. In addition to flavor, blueberries lent moisture and a dose of antioxidants as well. I eliminated the streusel to get rid of fat and calories (I have made streusel muffins in the past but have never been impressed with streusel prepared with oil instead of butter).

The resulting muffins were very good. Not the tender pull-apart variety, but an excellent healthy option. I have previously made blueberry muffins with a cinnamon-spiced batter, and I liked the allspice option very much. Use the recipe on Laura’s website when you want to impress someone with your baking talents for a special occasion (she gave them a very good review), but to keep you and your family healthy, make wholesome substitutions for your everyday muffins.

Remember—not pretty, healthy!!!

* Exported from MasterCook *

Blueberry Allspice Muffins

Recipe By: Vicci

Servings : 12 (2 muffins per serving)

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

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2 cups white whole wheat flour

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground allspice

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

2 large egg whites

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup pureed pears

1/3 cup canola oil

3/4 cup skim milk

1/2 cup lowfat vanilla yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups blueberries -- fresh or frozen (not thawed)

Preheat oven to 375F. Coat 24 muffin cups with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl combine flour through salt, then form a “well” in the center of the ingredients; set aside. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk until frothy. Add the remaining ingredients and combine.

Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry and stir until almost combined. Add blueberries and stir lightly until just mixed. Divide batter between muffin cups and bake for 15-18 minutes, rotating the pan 180-degrees about halfway through baking. Remove from oven, allow to sit for 1 minute, then remove the muffins to a cooling rack.

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Per serving: 368 Calories (kcal); 8g Total Fat (1g saturated)t; (20% calories from fat); 10g Protein; 65g Carbohydrate; 32mg Cholesterol; 457mg Sodium; 5g fiber

Food Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 19 1/2 Fat; 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrates