blue artichoke

Yesterday we woke up to snow; today we woke up to warm. I wish the weather would just make a choice and stick with it. (Choose spring!)

This has been a busy weekend, but I still found time to bake muffins for our breakfast this morning. Still on the healthy-muffin kick, I picked probably the healthiest muffin recipe I have. I really enjoyed making these muffins because I could get my hands in the mixture to break down the clumps of dried fruit. I think that's why I like making bread so much; I can plunge my hands into the muck and work the ingredients, feeling how the mixture changes and takes shape. Spoons and spatulas sometimes just get in the way.

Whole Wheat, Oatmeal, and Raisin Muffins

With four whole grains and three dried fruits, these muffins are a great way to get a variety of antioxidants and fiber. Wheat germ is a good source of vitamin E. Look for untoasted wheat germ in the organic food section of the supermarket. Adding boiling water to the batter and allowing it to sit for 15 minutes before baking allows the hearty oats, wheat germ, and bran to soak up the liquid for a more tender muffin.

1 cup whole wheat flour (about 4 3/4 ounces)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons untoasted wheat germ
2 tablespoons wheat bran
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1/3 cup chopped pitted dates
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup boiling water
Cooking spray

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 7 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Stir in oats, dates, raisins, and cranberries. Make a well in center of mixture. Combine buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and egg; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Stir in boiling water. Let batter stand 15 minutes. Use this time to put away ingredients, wash your measuring spoons and cups and other dishes, wipe down the counters, pour yourself a glass of water and stare out the window.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove muffins from pans immediately; place on a wire rack.

Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 1 muffin)

CALORIES 204(28% from fat); FAT 6.4g (sat 0.8g,mono 3.2g,poly 1.8g); PROTEIN 4.6g; CHOLESTEROL 19mg; CALCIUM 43mg; SODIUM 288mg; FIBER 3.4g; IRON 1.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 34.7g
Cooking Light, JANUARY 2006

I really liked these muffins; they're not very sweet, but the dried fruit provides just enough sweetness. The muffins were a bit crumbly. I wonder if cutting down on the boiling water would make for a sturdier texture, or if that would just result in dry muffins? I think next time I'll try subbing plain nonfat yogurt slightly thinned with milk for the buttermilk, to keep it moist but add some structure. GC wasn't such a fan of these because they're too crumbly to slather with butter and have a rough texture. I'll make them again someday, and perhaps with some tweaking, he'll like them better.