blue artichoke

I usually make our Sunday muffins on Saturday afternoon, because we're too hungry when we wake up on Sunday morning to wait for muffins to bake. However, I felt like crap yesterday; making muffins was waaaayy beyond my capabilities. I woke up this morning feeling slightly better, but determined to go about the day as usual. So I made fresh muffins for breakfast. These muffins are pretty good, and quick to mix up and get in the oven.

Whole-Grain Blackberry Spice Muffins

Coarsely chop frozen blackberries, and place them back in the freezer until ready to stir into the batter. To freeze muffins, let cool completely, and place in zip-top plastic bags. Reheat in microwave 20 seconds.

I used light brown sugar, 'cause that's what I have and I don't think it makes a whole lot of difference anyway, and I used pumpkin-pie spice because I had it and I don't really know what apple-pie spices are. I sprinkled sugar on the tops of only half of the muffins. Just because I'm a health nut doesn't mean that GC has to suffer too.

2 cups all-purpose flour (about 9 ounces)
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon apple-pie spice
1 cup fat-free milk
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups frozen blackberries, coarsely chopped
Cooking spray
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 400°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 6 ingredients (through apple-pie spice) in a large bowl. Make a well in center of mixture. Combine milk, butter, vanilla, and egg in a small bowl; add to flour mixture, stirring until just moist. Gently stir in blackberries.

Spoon 1/4 cup batter into each of 17 paper-lined muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 16 minutes. Sprinkle muffins evenly with granulated sugar; bake 3 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Cool in pans 10 minutes on wire racks.

Yield: 17 muffins (serving size: 1 muffin)

CALORIES 177(15% from fat); FAT 3g (sat 1.2g,mono 1.1g,poly 0.4g); PROTEIN 3.5g; CHOLESTEROL 18mg; CALCIUM 68mg; SODIUM 181mg; FIBER 1.8g; IRON 1.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 34.3g
Cooking Light, JANUARY 2006