I just love muffins. Done right, they’re the original 100-calorie packs but without any wasted packaging. Allow me to explain.You see, my friends, you needn’t fear the muffin. When you’re smart about your ingredients and mixins’, your muffins won’t tip the caloric scale. And paired with a nonfat latte (or the poor man’s latte I drink each morning which is coffee-milk you microwave about fifty-four times), you’ve got a high-fiber, high-protein grab-and-go meal.
You can make these ahead and freeze them in bags of two or three. Thaw one bag per week and you’ve got a month’s worth of baked goods that only took twenty minutes of your time on the front end. These muffins call for white whole-wheat flour; this is WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR made from a different wheat kernel that is lighter in color and milder in flavor than what is used for traditional whole-wheat flour. I buy it routinely in place of the usual stuff as it yields results that more closely resemble traditional “white†baked goods.
This is probably the only time of the year when blackberries are routinely available – you can sub raspberries or blueberries if that’s what you’ve got. Enjoy!
Blackberry Almond Muffins
Makes 12 to 14 muffins
2 c. white whole wheat flour
2/3 c. packed brown sugar
3 tbsp. ground flax seed
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cinnamon
1 egg
1 ¼ c. buttermilk
3 tbsp. canola or vegetable oil
½ tsp. almond extract
½ tsp. vanilla extract
6 oz. blackberries, halved
3 tbsp. slivered or sliced almonds
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a muffin tin with nonstick spray.
2. Whisk flour, sugar, flax, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl.
3. In a smaller bowl whisk egg, buttermilk, oil and extracts. Add liquid ingredient to dry ingredients and fold gently with a rubber spatula.
4. When mixture is almost combined, add blackberries and fold in until just mixed (try not to overmix the batter).
5. Spoon into prepared pan and top with almonds, pressing gently to adhere.Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool about five minutes in the pan and remove to wire rack to cool completely.
Per muffin: 144 calories, 4.9 fat grams, 13 milligrams cholesterol, 156 milligrams sodium, 21.7 grams carbs, 3.1 grams dietary fiber, 9 grams sugar, 4.3 grams protein.
