Anna's Blueberry Muffins For Diabetics

Another winner from "Our Family Recipes", the Princess Margaret Home & School Association cookbook. Submitted by Anna Sigurdson. By making just a few changes to the original, you can make this high fibre muffin very diabetic friendly. Looks good!


1/2 cup Splenda Brown Sugar Blend OR 1/4 cup brown sugar + 1/2 cup Splenda OR omit brown sugar altogether.
3/4 cup rolled oats
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
grated rind of 1 orange
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (if using frozen berries, do not thaw before adding to batter)

In a large bowl, combine Splenda, oats, flours, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and orange rind.

In a small bowl, beat milk, oil and egg together; pour over dry ingredients and mix gently, just until moistened. Gently fold in blueberries.

Spoon into large greased or paper-lined muffin cups, filling 3/4 full. Bake at 400 * F for 15- 20 minutes, or until tops are firm to the touch.

Makes 12 muffins.

Blueberry Muffins

Another winner from "Our Family Recipes", the Princess Margaret Home & School Association cookbook. Submitted by Anna Sigurdson. Looks good!


1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup rolled oats
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
grated rind of 1 orange
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (if using frozen berries, do not thaw before adding to batter)

In a large bowl, combine sugar, oats, flours, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and orange rind.

In a small bowl, beat milk, oil and egg together; pour over dry ingredients and mix gently, just until moistened. Gently fold in blueberries.

Spoon into large greased or paper-lined muffin cups, filling 3/4 full. Bake at 400 * F for 15- 20 minutes, or until tops are firm to the touch.

Makes 12 muffins.

Maple-Flavoured Syrup

I grew up with homemade maple syrup, and this recipe, (taken from "Cooking With Cents" copyright 1983, by Cooking With Cents Publishing Company Ltd., by Norma Bannerman and Donna-Joy Halliday) is the best. It's quick, and honestly tastes better than any pancake syrup you can buy.


2 cups white sugar
1 cup water
1/3 cup corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon (approximately) maple flavouring

Simmer sugar, water and corn syrup together in covered saucepan for 10 minutes.

Add maple flavouring to taste. (1/2 teaspoon has always seemed enough to me)

Yield: Approximately 3 cups

Breakfast Muffins For Non-Morning People

Tired of cold cereal for breakfast? Desirous of lovely, hot muffins to go with your orange juice or coffee? Not a morning person? Not a problem.

Before you go to bed:
1. Choose your muffin recipe.

2. Mix up all the dry ingredients and cover the bowl.

3. Mix up all the wet ingredients, cover and refrigerate overnight.

4. Take out your muffin pan and paper liners, and get the muffin tin ready with the liners.

5. If your oven has "Oven start/ stop" timer capabilities, set the oven to go on half an hour before you normally get up in the morning. Set it to stop an hour after it starts. Don't forget to set the temperature specified in the recipe.

6. Go to bed.

7. Get up 10 minutes early. If you didn't set the oven to come on, get up 15 minutes early, and turn the oven on before you go to the bathroom.

8. Take the wet ingredients out of the fridge. Add to the dry ingredients. Mix just until moistened. Fill the prepared muffin tin. Put the muffin tin in the oven.

9. Go have a shower. While you shower the muffins will bake. Check the time; either get dressed and then take the muffins out of the oven, or take them out before they burn and then get dressed.

10. Et Voila. Muffins for breakfast.

Baked Oatmeal

Tired of instant oatmeal? Give this one a try. Mix it up and pop it in the oven before you have your shower, and when you are dry- voila! Breakfast- hot and tasty, taken from the Saskatchewan E.M.M.C. Ladies' cookbook.

3 cups Oatmeal (quick or old fashioned, but not instant)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 - 1 cup raisins (or chocolate chips)
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350* F. Spray a 9" square baking pan with cooking spray.

Mix oatmeal, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, sugar and raisins together. Make a well in the center of these dry ingredients. Into the well, measure the milk, eggs and vegetable oil. Stir together, starting in the center to mix the eggs with the milk. Mix until blended, with no dry bits. Scrape into prepared pan and bake for 20 - 25 minutes.

Serve with hot cinnamon milk. You can heat milk in a small saucepan on the stove, or in the microwave. For each cup of milk, use one cinnamon stick, which you will break into 2 or 3 pieces. For stovetop, heat and stir over low heat til milk is steaming. To microwave, measure milk into a glass measure; add the broken cinnamon stick and microwave on full power for about 2 minutes to heat milk through.

Makes 9 generous squares.

Note: Recipe can be easily halved and baked in an 8" round pan to serve 2-3. If you are serving a mixed crowd, you can divide the recipe and bake it in 2- 8" round pans. Half can be made with raisins and the other half with chocolate chips, or the dried fruit of your choice.

Chocolate Chip or Berry Muffins

1 1/2 cups all purpose white flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup French Vanilla flavoured coffee cream
1/4 cup milk or water
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup chocolate chips OR blueberries (fresh or unthawed frozen), strawberry chunks or raspberries

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl. Stir in chocolate chips or berries. Make a well in the center.

In another bowl, mix French Vanilla cream, milk, egg and oil.

Pour milk mixture into the well, then mix gently only until all dry ingredients are incorporated. Divide into greased or paper lined muffin tins.

Bake at 375* F. for 20 - 25 minutes, til risen and lightly browned.

Yield: 8 large or 12 small muffins

Cinnamon Buns

I have changed the original (from Company's Coming Breads) enough that I am comfortable sharing it. Give these a try- they're worth it! HINT: My friend Janet sometimes makes her cinnamon buns just before bed, and lets them rise slowly in the refrigerator overnight. I've done this when I have two empty shelves, and it works a treat. In the morning take the buns out of the fridge. Turn on the oven, and while the buns warm to room temperature and the oven heats up, you go have your shower- or make the coffee, or whatever! When the oven is ready, pop in the buns and away you go. Hot fresh cinnamon buns for breakfast, without having to get up at 5:30 in the morning! (freezing them for later works too!) It's good to note that these are fairly quick buns, with only 1 rising time. When I'm using my Kitchen Aid mixer I can have them mixed up, risen and baked within 2 hours. If they are too hot to ice and it's time to eat, just tip the pan over onto a large serving platter, call them "sticky buns" and serve them hot without icing. (trust me, no one will miss that extra bit of sugar!)

1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 (1/4 oz/ 8 g) Active dry yeast (about a tablespoon)
1 large egg
1/3 cup cooking oil
1/2 tsp. salt
4 1/2 cups (approximately) all purpose flour

FILLING:

1/4 cup butter or hard margarine, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tsp. cinnamon

SYRUP:

1 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup butter or hard margarine
1 Tbsp. corn syrup/ golden syrup

ICING:

3/4 - 1 cup icing sugar
1/8 cup butter or hard margarine, softened
1 1/2 Tbsp. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Line 2- 9 x 13 inch baking pans with foil. Spray foil with cooking oil spray.

Stir granulated sugar into warm water in large bowl. Sprinkle yeast over top. Let stand 10 minutes. Stir to dissolve yeast.

While yeast is proofing, mix the filling ingredients together, and measure the syrup ingredients into a small saucepan.

Mix in eggs, cooking oil and salt. Work in enough flour to make a soft dough; til dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, and isn't sticking to your fingers. Turn out onto floured surface. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Divide dough into 2 equal parts. Roll each part, one at a time, into a 9 x 12 inch rectangle. Spread each rectangle with half of the filling, then roll up from the long side. Let the rolls rest while you make the syrup.

Melt syrup ingredients together in small saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar and blend well. Syrup should be smooth and un-separated, like caramel sauce*. (if it starts to boil, remove from heat or you'll find the syrup turns to hard candy on the bottom of your cinnamon buns) Pour the syrup into the two prepared pans, dividing it equally between them. If you like Pecan-cinnamon rolls, sprinkle toasted pecans (about 1/2 cup per pan) over syrup.
*if the butter hasn't blended in, it doesn't really matter; just make sure you divide it carefully to get melted butter and caramel-ly sugar as even in the two pans as you can.

Cut each roll into 12 equal (approximately 1 inch) pieces. Arrange cinnamon rolls over syrup in pan.

Cover with a tea towel. Let stand in oven with the light on (or in a warm place) for about 45 minutes, til doubled in size. Bake at 350 *F for 20 - 25 minutes. Drizzle with icing. (If you ice while warm, they'll have a nice glazed look. If you want to see the icing, wait til they're cooled) If you're making pecan buns, you might like to forgo the icing, and turn hot, baked buns out onto sheets of foil to cool (so the syrup and pecans are on the top)

Yield: 2 dozen cinnamon buns

NOTES:

Cinnamon Buns have become our traditional Christmas Morning breakfast. I often place the rolled buns (without syrup- I increase the filling by 1/2 and give them lots of icing instead) into Tree or Snowman shapes.

To make "individual" Christmas Morning Cinnamon Bun Trees I'll divide the dough that would make 12 buns into 4 parts before rolling it out. Each 1/4 of the dough gets rolled and spread with filling, then cut into "mini" cinnamon buns.

Bake these specially shaped buns on a greased, foil lined cookie sheet. If you're baking them ahead and freezing them, wrap them lightly in the foil then pop them into a freezer bag. Take them out the night before and let them thaw on the counter overnight.

Sauced Butterscotch (Pudding-Cake and Sauce)

A favourite Birthday Breakfast at our house... but it really is a nice, filling, hot dessert on cold winter evenings. Serve with thick cream or ice cream. This is half the recipe, so it will make enough for 2 or 3... or 1 for breakfast and then lunch dessert!

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup milk
1 Tbsp butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp. butter or margarine
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup hot water

Measure first 5 ingredients into bowl. Mix together with spoon. Turn into greased 8" casserole dish or baking pan.

In same bowl, stir brown sugar, butter, vanilla and hot water until sugar dissolves and butter is melted. Pour over batter in pan. Do not stir. Bake at 350*F for 20 - 30 minutes until sauce is on the bottom and the top crust is firm to the touch.

Diabetic Banana Muffins

A few more tweaks to the "Company's Coming Muffins and More" recipe, et voila!


1/3 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup wheat germ
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 Tbsp Splenda, artificial sweetener
1/2 cup mashed bananas
1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
1/3 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 400*F.

Mix flours, wheat germ, baking soda and Splenda in a medium sized bowl. Make a well in the center.

In another bowl, mix bananas, oil, sour cream, egg and vanilla. Mix together well. Pour into dry ingredients and stir just until blended.

Fill 8 paper lined or greased muffin cups.

Put into oven, then immediately reduce temperature to 350* F. Bake for 20- 25 minutes.

Makes 8 muffins.

Banana Muffins

It started out as the Banana Muffin recipe in "Company's Coming Muffins and More"... but I tweaked it a little... easy to double for a crowd.


1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup mashed bananas
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 egg
2 Tbsp sour cream
1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 400*F.

Mix flour and soda in a medium sized bowl. Make a well in the center.

In another bowl, measure bananas, sugar, oil, egg, sour cream and vanilla. Mix together well.

Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until mixed.

Fill 8 paper lined or greased muffin cups. Put in oven, then immediately reduce oven temperature to 350* F. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes.

Obviously yields 8 muffins.

Diabetic Baked Oatmeal

Tired of instant oatmeal? Give this one a try. Mix it up and pop it in the oven before you have your shower, and when you are dry- voila! Breakfast- hot and tasty. This is the half size, diabetic version of a Favourite Recipe, taken from the Saskatchewan E.M.M.C. Ladies' cookbook. Have a quarter or a third for breakfast hot, and save the rest for a snack later on.


1 1/2 cups Oatmeal (quick or old fashioned, but not instant)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 cup Splenda
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup skim milk
1 egg
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce or canola oil

Preheat oven to 350* F. Spray a 1.5 L casserole/ baking pan with cooking spray.
Mix oatmeal, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, Splenda and raisins together. Make a well in the center of these dry ingredients. Into the well, measure the milk, egg and applesauce. Stir together, starting in the center to mix the eggs with the milk. Mix until blended, with no dry bits. Scrape into prepared pan and bake for 15-20 minutes.


If you use a glass casserole dish, this can be microwaved for about 5 minutes on high heat. Test the middle with a toothpick; if it comes out clean the baked oatmeal is ready. If not, microwave an additional 2-3 minutes.


Serve with hot cinnamon milk. You can heat milk in a small saucepan on the stove, or in the microwave. For each half cup of milk, use half of a cinnamon stick, which you will break into a couple of pieces. For stove-top, heat and stir over low heat til milk is steaming. To microwave, measure milk into a glass measuring cup; add the broken cinnamon stick and microwave on full power for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes to heat milk through.
Makes 4 servings.
Notes:

-To serve 4 - 6 people, double the recipe, and bake for 20- 25 min in a 9" square pan.

-If you are cooking for diabetic and non- diabetic folk, you can bake another batch in your other 8" round pan for the Sugar People, using 1/3 cup sugar instead of Splenda*



Nutritional Analysis: (Baked Oatmeal alone)
Serving size 1/4 of the whole batch 


Calories:  208 (with applesauce) 327 (with oil)
Total Fat: 3.5 g (with applesauce) 17.5 g (with oil)
Cholesterol: 48 mg
Sodium: 247.23 mg (with applesauce) 247 mg (with oil)
Total Carbohydrates:  41.3 g (with applesauce) 39 g (with oil)
   Fibre: 3.7 g (with applesauce) 3.65 g (with oil)
   Sugars: 17.44 g (with applesauce) 16 g (with oil)
Protein: 8 g


*Analysis was done as for a recipe using Splenda.
If the numbers are too high for you dietary needs, divide the baked oatmeal into 6 pieces.


Per 1/6th, Baked Oatmeal alone:
Calories: 139 (with applesauce) 218 (with oil)
Total Fat: 2.34 g (with applesauce) 12 g (with oil)
Cholesterol: 32 mg
Sodium: 164.8 mg (with applesauce) 165 mg (with oil)
Total Carbohydrates: 27.6 g (with applesauce) 26 g (with oil)
   Fibre: 2.5 g (with applesauce) 2.4 g (with oil)
   Sugars: 11.6 g (with applesauce) 10.7 g (with oil)
Protein: 6.34 g

Bran Muffins

This is a recipe that I've adapted from the Company's Coming Muffins and More cookbook. The original has long been a favourite, and this lower sugar version is every bit as good. These muffins freeze well, so make a batch, and keep them on hand for a good breakfast treat. Have them with no-sugar added peanut butter or a slice of old cheddar to add some protein and make the meal complete.


250 ml (1 cup) low-fat buttermilk
250 ml (1 cup) natural bran*
50 ml (1/4 cup) all-purpose white flour
200 ml (3/4 cup) all purpose, whole wheat flour
5 ml (1 tsp.) baking soda
7 ml (1 1/2 tsp.) baking powder
5 ml (1 tsp.) cinnamon (optional)
175 ml (3/4 cup) raisins
50 ml (1/4 cup) canola or olive oil
50 ml (1/4 cup) molasses
1 egg
7 ml (1 1/2 tsp.) vanilla
In med. sized bowl, stir buttermilk and bran* together. Let stand 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and raisins. Stir well. Push up around sides of bowl, making a well in the center.
Add remaining ingredients to bran mixture in order given. Beat with a spoon until mixed. Pour into well. Stir just to moisten. Batter will be lumpy.
Divide into greased or paper lined muffin cups. Bake at 350 * F., for 15- 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Remove from pan. Makes 12 large muffins.
Note: To make the Husband's Favourite "Raspberry Bran Muffins", use 1 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen (un-thawed) and add 25 ml., (1/8 cup) Splenda sweetener to the flour mixture.
*To increase fibre, add 25 ml (1/8 cup) Red River Cereal with bran to buttermilk. This also adds a crunchy texture.


Per Muffin:
calories: 158
Fat: 5.75 g
   saturated: .21 g
Cholesterol: 17.5 mg
Sodium: 123 mg
Carbohydrates: 24 g
   sugars: 11.25 g
   fibre: 3.27 g
Protein: 3.7 g

Fresh Fruit Muffins

(Here's one that I made up for breakfast, and everyone liked them and everything!)

2 cups flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup Splenda (artificial sweetener)
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups fresh fruit, chopped up (1 small banana in chunks and a cup of coarsely chopped strawberries was very yummy)
1 cup skim milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup Canola/ vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 400* F.

Mix dry ingredients together in large bowl. Add fruit.

In another bowl, mix milk and egg, then add oil and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients. Fold together, mixing just til blended.

Divide into 12 paper lined or oiled muffin cups. Pop the muffin pan into the 400*F oven, then immediately reduce the oven temperature to 350* F. and bake for 15 - 20 minutes, til tops are lightly browned and the center of the center muffin tests done with a toothpick.

Mmmm! (make sure you share your fresh fruit and berry combinations with us in the comments section!)

Currant Scones

This is based on the Currant Scone recipe in "Company's Coming Muffins and More" cookbook. I've kicked up the fibre and left out the sugar. It's an easy recipe to halve, and it has become my favourite scone recipe. They are delightful with butter and a bit of No- Sugar- Added Orange Spread. And don't forget a cup of good, strong tea!

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup bran flakes cereal (I press it down, crunching it up, until it measures a cup)
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup butter or hard margarine, cold
1/2 cup currants, or lightly chopped raisins
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
milk for brushing tops
granulated sugar for sprinkling

In large bowl combine flours, cereal, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in currants. Make a well in the center.

In small bowl, beat egg until frothy. Stir in milk. Pour into well. Stir with a fork to form soft dough. Turn out on lightly floured surface. Knead 8 to 10 times. Divide into two equal parts. Pat each into a 6 inch circle. Transfer to greased baking sheet. (I never knead the dough, and I make the circle right on the baking sheet)

Brush tops with milk and sprinkle with sugar*. Score each top into 6 pie shaped markings. Bake at 425*F for 15 minutes, until risen and browned slightly. Serve hot with butter and jam. Yield: 12 scones.

*you can skip this step, to make lovely currant "biscuits", or use a 1/4 tsp. measure to give each circle just a slight dusting of sugar. I usually leave off the sugar, when I'm making them just for me.