Quarter Cup Muffins

Oatmeal muffins reinvented, using one bowl and two measuring utensils. There are a lot of things you can personalize about these low fat, low sugar muffins. Change up the sweetener or the nuts, add a small apple, finely chopped, or leave out the cinnamon or raisins. Basically, a very nice, hearty muffin that makes a lovely breakfast or snack. If you don't have parchment liners, you might want to either use oil instead of apple sauce, or grease the muffin tins instead of using paper. (the muffins will stick to regular paper liners because they don't have any oil in them.)

1/4 cup sweetener (xylitol, Splenda, white or brown sugar, Stevia)

1/4 cup all purpose Gluten Free flour blend

1/4 cup almond flour

3 x 1/4 cup quick oats

1/4 cup coarsely chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans are nice)
1/4 raisins

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 x 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 x 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3 x 1/4 cup milk (I use dairy free almond milk)

1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce (or vegetable/ Canola oil)

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar

Measure ingredients into a medium sized bowl in order given, then mix very well. Actually, mix the heck out of it, then let it stand for 1/2 hour to give the flours time to soak up the liquid and thicken up, while the oven preheats to 350* F. 

Using parchment muffin papers, line 9 muffin cups, then divide the batter between them. Bake for 30 minutes, until the muffins are lightly browned, and the top bounces back when pressed, and when a toothpick inserted into the middle of one comes out clean.

Cool completely before storing in an airtight bag or container. Can be frozen or stored in the fridge to last longer.

I like these eaten with Becel Vegan margarine and honey or marmalade, or with slices of goat cheddar.

Makes 9 medium sized muffins.

Hot Cross Muffins

A delicious take on Easter's Hot Cross Buns that's adapted from the Company's Coming Mostly Muffins cookbook. If you love hot cross buns but don't have the time or inclination to bake them, you should check out the Mostly Muffins cookbook and bake up a batch of  Spiced Fruit Muffins. If you can't tolerate gluten or dairy, give this adapted recipe a try. If you like hot cross buns you will like these muffins. If you've been missing the joy of hot cross buns because of food intolerance, I promise you will LOVE these muffins. 

1 1/3 cups gluten-free, all-purpose flour blend
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp each nutmeg, allspice and ground cloves
1 large egg
1 cup non-dairy milk
1/3 cup canola oil
1/2 cup dark raisins or currants
1/2 cup chopped mixed glazed fruit

Measure all dry ingredients into a medium/large bowl. Stir together with a wire whisk. Add egg, milk and oil. Whisk together vigorously for several minutes until very well incorporated and smooth. Stir in raisins and glazed fruit. Let stand for 1/2 hour.

Heat oven to 350*F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners. Divide batter between lined cups. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until tops are browned and a toothpick inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean. Let stand a few minutes then move to wire rack to cool completely before adding icing crosses.

ICING

Mix 1/2 cup icing sugar, 2 tsp non-dairy milk and 1/8 tsp vanilla together to make a smooth paste. Spoon it into a small freezer bag; snip a small hole in one corner and squeeze icing to/through the hole to pipe crosses onto the cooled muffins.

Makes 10-12 muffins.

The "Minus 1/3" Gluten Free Baking Solution, or "The 30% Solution"

I've discovered a four-part trick to easily convert regular muffin, quick bread and cake recipes:

1. Remove 1/3 of the required amount of regular all-purpose flour and substitute an all-purpose gluten free flour blend.
2. Add 1/4-1/2 tsp xanthan gum, if it's not already in your flour blend (I generally do 1/2 tsp per cup of flour)
3. Beat the batter to death (opposite of normal quick breads and muffins)
4. Let the batter stand for 30 minutes before filling muffin tins/cake pans

Mixing the batter up and letting it stand for half an hour allows the gluten free flours to absorb the liquid. As the flours are absorbing the liquid, the batter gets thicker, so it makes sense to reduce the amount of flour used. I've had success with this formula for numerous muffin recipes, for banana bread, pancakes and waffles. Also a chiffon cake, surprisingly. The baked food is noticeably less "dry/ grainy" than previously, and it doesn't dry out as quickly- lasting several days longer than usual.

These pancakes worked, these Cranberry Orange Muffins, (using 2/3 cup + 1/4 cup GF flour blend) and Blueberry or Chocolate Chip Muffins, (2/3 cup GF flour).

The secret seems to be reducing the flour, really beating the batter and then letting it rest for half an hour.

Gluten-Dairy-Soy Free Raisin Bran Muffins

This is a recipe that I've adapted from my adaptation of the Company's Coming Muffins and More cookbook. These muffins have been a favourite, and I've missed them since going gluten and dairy free. They freeze well, and mix up quickly, and since they work for the new diet- I've been in heaven again. My FAVOURITE thing is coffee or tea and a raisin bran muffin with Becel Vegan Margarine and honey. This has become my "go-to" bring along muffin for travelling. A double batch makes 18 muffins that really travel well. I bring them in a freezer-type storage bag and  borrow fridge space along the way. With peanut butter, (I bring Kraft Extra-Smooth or a natural PB- the only ones I've found without soy oil) one of these muffins is a good breakfast when the hotel is serving up a "continental". Also a good lunch option, snack or supper supplement. So far the record is tasty for 2 weeks on the road.

150 ml (2/3 cup) Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour* 
250 ml (1 cup) ground flax (or 125 ml/1/2 cup ground flax+ 125 ml/1/2 cup oat bran)

3 ml (1/2 tsp) Xanthan Gum
5 ml (1 tsp.) baking soda
5 ml (1 tsp.) baking powder
5 ml (1 tsp.) cinnamon (optional)
175 ml (3/4 cup) raisins
250 ml (1 cup) non-dairy milk
5 ml (1 tsp) vinegar
50 ml (1/4 cup) canola or olive oil
50 ml (1/4 cup) molasses
1 egg
5 ml (1 tsp.) vanilla

In a large bowl, combine flour, flax/oat bran, xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and raisins. Mix well with a whisk. Push up around sides of bowl, making a well in the center.

In med. sized bowl, stir milk, vinegar, oil, molasses, egg and vanilla together. Whisk together until well blended.

Pour milk mixture into well in dry ingredients. Stir vigorously to combine well. You can't beat this too much.*

Let better stand 30 minutes.

Divide into greased or paper lined muffin cups. Bake at 350 * F., for about 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Remove from pan. Makes 8 large muffins.
 

Note: To make the Husband's Favourite "Raspberry Bran Muffins", use 1 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen (un-thawed) instead of raisins, and add 25 ml., (1/8 cup) Splenda sweetener or 1/4 cup brown sugar to the flour mixture.

 Another Note: I made a batch (without cinnamon), divided the batter, added raisins to half for me, some brown sugar and raspberries to the other half for him, and he thought they were just fine. In spite of a slight prejudice against "gluten-free" things. 

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

If you like to bake, or to eat baking, and you have food sensitivities, you must-must-MUST get yourself one of the Babycakes cookbooks by Erin McKenna. "Babycakes" and "Babycakes Does The Classics" are both awesome vegan cookbooks. This Pumpkin Spice Muffin recipe is in the first book, but I've replaced 1/4 of the flour with ground flax and quinoa flour. I also added pumpkin seeds and raisins because I like raisins in spice cake and muffins, and because I thought the texture of the seeds would be nice. These muffins freeze well and travel well. They are equally fabulous with  Becel Vegan margarine or Kraft No-Sugar-No-Salt-Added Peanut Butter. Easy to mix up and satisfying for breakfast, lunch or snacks on the go.

1 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour*
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup quinoa flour*
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon xanthan gum*
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 Tablespoon ground ginger
1/2 cup Canola oil
2/3 cup agave nectar*
2/3 cup rice milk
2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
1-398 ml (about 13 oz) can pure pumpkin puree
1/2 cup hot water
1 cup raisins
3/4 cup shelled pumpkin seeds
*readily available at Nutter's Bulk and Natural Foods

Preheat the oven to 325*F.

In a large bowl, whisk together flours, flaxseed, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, salt, cinnamon and ginger. Add oil, agave nectar, rice milk and vanilla to the dry ingredients. Stir with the whisk until batter is smooth and thick. Using a plastic/silicone spatula, fold in the pumpkin, hot water, raisins and pumpkin seeds until batter is smooth and everything is evenly distributed throughout.

Fill paper lined muffin cups 3/4 full. Muffins won't rise much during baking. Bake on center rack for 22-30 minutes, switching the pans and rotating them 180* after 12 minutes. Finished muffins will be soft to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean.

Let muffins stand in the tin for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for a week, or in the freezer. Pop a frozen muffin in the microwave for 15-20 seconds or so to heat it up, or throw it in a bag or reusable container and take it along to eat at your next Starbucks coffee date.

Makes 18-22 delicious muffins

Mini-Donut Muffins

I recently acquired a couple of mini-donut pans. I bought mine from Avon, but I've seen them online as well, so I know they're out there. The fun thing is that the recipe that came with the pans, (for "Old Fashioned Buttermilk Donuts") makes really delicious little cinnamon donuts that remind me of The Forks in Winnipeg and The Exhibition, where we used to buy little mini cinnamon donuts. I reasoned that this recipe should work with regular mini muffin tins, so I tweaked it a bit- cutting down the recipe for a start (the original makes about 6 dozen of the things), and have come up with this manageable facsimile. They are very quick to mix up, and can be baked and ready to serve in about 30 minutes. I hope you try them. Not just for little children.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon each ground nutmeg, ground cloves (optional) and ground cinnamon
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 egg
3 Tablespoons butter or hard margarine melted

Topping:
2 Tablespoons butter or hard margarine, melted
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325*F. Lightly grease 1 & 1/12 mini-muffin pans.

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cloves and first amount of cinnamon together.

Mix buttermilk, egg and first amount of melted margarine together in another bowl; stir into the dry ingredients.

Fill each greased muffin tin about 3/4 full. Bake for about 15 minutes, until muffins are lightly browned and spring back when lightly touched. Allow to cool 3-5 minutes, (until you can handle them) then remove from pan.

Topping:
Put butter (melted) in a small bowl. Mix sugar and cinnamon together in another bowl. Dip tops of slightly cooled muffins in the butter, and then in the cinnamon/sugar mixture to coat the tops.

Makes about 18 mini-muffins.

Banana Oatmeal Muffins

I needed to make some sugar free muffins this week and I had oatmeal on the brain. I also had a bunch of overripe bananas, but I couldn't find a recipe that had both oatmeal and bananas, so I ended up going to my new "Company's Coming Mostly Muffins" cookbook, which has the most amazing muffin recipes, and took inspiration from two recipes: Basic Banana Muffins and Basic Oatmeal Muffins. I really liked the texture and flavour I got. I also liked the numbers that came up when I crunched them. I think these would be really good with chopped walnuts or pecans, together with or instead of the mini chocolate chips- (which are great for muffins because they are tiny and give the illusion of chocolaty goodness without actually adding too much chocolate). It made a lovely big batch of pretty large muffins. I'm hoping they freeze well, as the extras were tossed into the freezer this morning for breakfast and snacks later on.

1 cup oatmeal (not instant)
1 cup buttermilk (or milk soured with a teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice)

1 cup all-purpose white flour
1/2 cup all-purpose whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup Splenda, artificial sweetener (you could make it 1/3 cup if you like 'em sweet)
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup Canola/vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas

Combine oatmeal and buttermilk in a medium sized bowl. Let stand 10 minutes.

Combine next 7 ingredients in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre.

Add eggs, oil, vanilla and bananas to the oatmeal mixture. Mix well. Add to the well in the centre of the dry ingredients. Stir gently to combine, until just moistened.

Divide between 15 paper-lined or greased muffin cups. Bake at 375*F for 20-25 minutes, until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.

Let stand in pan for 5 minutes, then remove to wire rack to cool. Serve warm or cooled with butter if desired.

Makes 15 large muffins.

Nutritional Analysis per 1 muffin:
Calories:  154
Total Fat: 6.4 g
Cholesterol: 27 mg
Sodium: 178 mg (lower this to 100 mg by omitting the salt)
Potassium: 112.55 mg
Carbohydrates: 20 g
Fibre: 2 g
Sugars: 6 g
Protein: 4 g

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

I went searching for a poppyseed muffin recipe, but couldn't find any that matched the vision in my head; I envisioned something lemony with a lemon-sugar glaze, like my favourite, old-fashioned lemon loaf. When I stumbled upon "Lemonade Muffins" in the Better Homes And Gardens "Homemade Bread Cook Book" from 1973, I knew I had found what I was looking for. I adjusted the ingredients just enough to add poppyseed and remove walnuts, and to make 18 muffins instead of 12. Very quick to assemble and a delightful addition to any tea party, I hope you'll try them. If you like lemon and poppyseed, you'll like these.

3/4 cup frozen lemonade, thawed
1/3 cup milk
3 Tablespoons poppyseed
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs, well beaten
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Combine lemonade, milk and poppyseed in a small bowl. Let stand.

Thoroughly combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center.

Add egg and oil to lemonade mixture. Pour into well in dry ingredients and stir just to moisten.

Divide batter into 18 greased or paper lined muffin cups. Bake at 400*F for about 20 minutes. Remove from pans, and brush tops with additional thawed frozen lemonade concentrate then sprinkle generously with granulated sugar.

Makes 18 muffins.

NOTE: A can of frozen lemonade made 2 1/2 dozen muffins with a good amount left over for brushing the tops. To do the extra 1 dozen, follow directions using 1/4 cup milk, 1/2 cup lemonade, 2 Tablespoons poppyseed, 1/3 cup oil, 1 egg, 1 3/4 cups flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 3/4 cup salt.

Bacon And Cornmeal Muffins

One flop and three successful trials later, we have an acceptable Corn Muffin. If you leave out the bacon and make them plain, they're good with butter and jam. With bacon (and maybe 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese and some red pepper flakes, she said suggestively) they're a nice, savoury breakfast muffin.

6-8 slices of bacon
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1  1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
2 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400*F.

Fry/cook bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towel, then chop into small pieces and set aside.

Mix cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar and salt together in large bowl. Make a well in the centre.

In a second bowl, measure milk and oil. Beat in eggs until well combined. Pour into centre of the well, and mix gently until just combined. Stir in the bacon, then spoon into greased or paper lined muffin tins.

Bake about 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Serve hot or warm with butter.

Makes 12 large muffins.

Twisted Peanut Butter Muffins

The Fall '10 What's Cooking (Kraft Foods magazine) came the other day, and there was a recipe for peanut butter muffins that I thought looked good. As I lay in bed this morning I contemplated these muffins for breakfast, and decided that plain peanut butter muffins might be a bit boring. "What goes with peanut butter?" I asked myself. Bananas, chocolate, and jam sounded good to me, so I mixed up a batch of muffins and divided the batter three ways to try them all! I think my favourite is peanut butter and jam. They were quite delicious for breakfast, still warm, with coffee. Yum!


Twisted Peanut Butter Muffins

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (Kraft light) crunchy peanut butter
1/4 cup hard margarine
1 cup skim milk
2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 375*F and prepare a 12 cup muffin tin- grease, or line with paper liners.

Mix flours, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl. Cut in peanut butter and margarine with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs (as for making biscuits or scones). Add milk and eggs, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. (batter will be lumpy)

Peanut Butter & Banana Muffins: add a large, not over-ripe banana, cut into small chunks. Gently stir in banana pieces to distribute them evenly throughout the batter. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until risen and golden brown on top. Cool in pan 5 minutes, then remove to wire rack and cool completely before storing in airtight container.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Muffins: add 3/4 cup chocolate chips to batter, stirring gently to mix them in. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until risen and golden brown on top. Cool in pan 5 minutes, then remove to wire rack and cool completely before storing in airtight container.

PB & J:  Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Add a teaspoonful of strawberry jam* to the centre of each muffin-cup of batter. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until risen and golden brown on top. Cool in pan 5 minutes, then remove to wire rack and cool completely before storing in airtight container. *cut down calories/carbs and increase fibre by adding a cup of chopped fresh or frozen strawberries.


Nutrition Facts (as supplied by Kraft Canada, for plain muffin made with light peanut butter) 
per muffin: 200 calories, 9g fat, (1.5g saturated fat) 30 mg cholesterol, 270 mg sodium, 26g* carbohydrates, 2g fibre, 11g sugars, 6g protein.
*add 2.5g carbs (for 28.5g carb) to PB&Banana muffin
*add 7g carbs (for 33g carb) to Chocolate PB muffin
*add 2-5 carbs (for 28-31 carb, depending on the jam you use-check the label) to PB&J muffin. Strawberry pieces will add about 1g carb per muffin.
*you can lower the carb count further by using Splenda artificial sweetener instead of sugar. Try 1/3 cup instead of 1/2 cup sugar. 

Two-Fer Scones

Or, "Six of One, Half Dozen of The Other". Originally from "Company's Coming Muffins & More" Cookbook, the "Rich Scones" quickly became a family favourite. When I started needing to kick up my fibre, I began to add a batch of the "Bran Cereal Scones"- a variation of "Current Scones", without the sugar.  Being down in numbers doesn't mean we've ceased to enjoy scones and tea for a Sunday supper, it just means we don't eat two dozen scones at a time. I've been making half a batch of each of our favourites, and it works very well. If you want to make 12 scones of either variety, simply double the ingredients as I've given them here, and use the whole amount of liquid in it. (1 egg + 2/3 cup milk) To make a dozen of each, you'll need two eggs and 1 1/3 cups milk. But you're smart. You figured that out.

Preheat oven to 425*F.

Set two medium/large sized mixing bowls on the counter. One is for the Current/Bran Cereal Scones, and one is for the Rich Scones.

Measure the following ingredients into the bowls as follows:

Bran Cereal Scones                            Rich Scones

1/3 cup all-purpose flour                  1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour                1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup lightly crushed
    bran flakes cereal*
2 teaspoons baking powder              1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt                             1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4-1/3 cup currents, if desired

Mix the dry ingredients together. Using a pastry blender, two knives or your fingers, cut in margarine until crumbly- 1/8 cup margarine into the Bran Cereal Scones, and 1/4 cup margaine into the Rich Scones.

In a small measuring cup, measure 2/3 cup milk. Add one large egg and beat to blend well. Pour half into each bowl. Stir each batch of scones with a fork to form a soft dough.

Lightly grease a large baking sheet. Form scones into a 6 inch circle, one on each end of the baking sheet. Brush the tops with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Gently cut each circle into six pie shaped wedges.

Bake for about 15 minutes, until risen and browned slightly. Serve hot with butter and jam.

Yields 6 Bran Cereal and 6 Rich Scones.

*I've used Bran Flakes, Raisin Bran (and omitted the currents), Vector and, in a pinch, Strawberry Special K. Any multi-grain flaked cereal should be fine.

Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins

I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free"Biscuit & Baking Mix" for these. I am very impressed with the results. I bought the baking mix at Safeway in the baking section- near the flour and sugar. The package says you can use it with recipes that call for a baking mix, and so I did. When the kids were little I used to make a "master mix" from flour, lard, salt etc., and this was the base for pancakes, muffins, cakes... a wonderful time saver when I had 3 little twerps running around. I used the master mix recipe (the recipe for muffins that used the master mix) with the "Biscuit Baking Mix". I added oil, as this is just a flour mix. But I was impressed.

2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Biscuit & Baking Mix
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup frozen blueberries, not thawed. (or fresh, when they're in season)

Combine Baking Mix and sugar.

Combine egg, milk, vanilla and oil, and add to dry ingredients. Only mix together until just incorporated.

Gently fold in frozen blueberries.

Spoon into paper lined muffin pans and bake at 375*F for about 20 minutes.

Yield: 12 large muffins.

Oatmeal Muffins Your Kids Will Eat

These Company's Coming Muffins & More Banana-Oatmeal muffins have been twigged a bit. The substitutions qualify it as a lower fat, higher fibre, no-sugar-added breakfast or snack break. And besides all that- they taste really yummy.

1 cup (250 ml) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (125 ml) whole wheat flour
1 cup Roger's Porridge Oats
1/2 cup Splenda, artificial sweetener
2 teaspoons (10 ml) baking powder
1 teaspoon (5 ml) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup (125 ml) peanut butter (to keep sugar lower, use a natural peanut butter or Kraft No Salt-No Sugar added Peanut Butter)
1/4 cup (50 ml) skim milk
3 over-ripe mashed bananas
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup raisins
1 medium apple with peel, cored and chopped

Preheat oven to 400* F. (200*C)

*Kitchen Aid method: Into large mixer bowl put: eggs, peanut butter, milk and whole bananas. Mix on lower speed until all are blended and fairly smooth.

Stop mixer and add: flours, Oats, Splenda, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix slowly, (with pulsing motion for the first minute or so) until dry ingredients are blended. Stir in chocolate chips, raisins and apple.

Grease, or line 18 muffin cups with paper liners. Divide batter evenly among the muffin cups. Put muffin pans in preheated oven. Reduce heat to 350*F (180*C) and bake for about 20 minutes. Until centre of middle muffin bounces back to the touch and/or a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

*Non-Kitchen Aid method: In large bowl, mix together flours, Oats, Splenda, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the centre.

In a second, smaller bowl, mash bananas, then add eggs, peanut butter and milk. Mix with electric mixer or by hand until well blended and fairly smooth. Pour into the well in the dry ingredients.

Mix until just blended. Stir in chocolate chips, raisins and apple.

Grease, or line 18 muffin cups with paper liners. Divide batter evenly among the muffin cups. Put muffin pans in preheated oven. Reduce heat to 350*F (180*C) and bake for about 20 minutes. Until centre of middle muffin bounces back to the touch and/or a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Fruity Oatmeal Muffins

Originally "Company's Coming Muffins & More" Oatmeal Muffins, these have had the fruit and fibre kicked up. Great for breakfast, a quick snack or even a fairly guilt free dessert. Try them with a little butter and honey.

1 cup (250 ml) whole wheat flour
1 cup (250 ml) rolled oats
2 Tablespoons (25 ml) brown sugar, packed
2 Tablespoons (25 ml) Splenda, artificial sweetener
2 Tablespoons (25 ml) Bob's Red Mill 10 grain cereal
1 Tablespoon (15 ml) baking powder
1 teaspoon (5 ml) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) salt
1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) cinnamon
3/4 cup (175 ml) raisins
1 cup (250 ml) chopped, cored, but not peeled apple (about 1 small)
1 egg
2 Tablespoons (25 ml) molasses, treacle or black treacle
1/4 cup (50 ml) Canola oil
1 cup (250 ml) skim milk
2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla

Preheat oven to 400*F.

Mix flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, Splenda, 10 grain cereal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, raisins and apple in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre.

In a small bowl, beat egg until frothy. Mix in molasses/treacle, oil, milk and vanilla. Pour into well. Stir only to moisten. Let stand 5 minutes.

Fill greased or paper lined muffin cups. Divide between 16 cups.

Put muffin tins into 400* F oven. After 5 minutes reduce oven temperature to 350*F. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, until tops are browned and bounce back when touched, or a toothpick inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.

Remove paper lined muffins to cooling rack. Let un-lined muffins rest for 5 minutes before removing them from the pan.

Makes 16 muffins.

Orange Cranberry Muffins

My favourite "snack" at McDonalds was the Orange-Cranberry Muffin. When I found the Orange Muffin recipe in Company's Coming Muffins and More Cookbook, I was happy. When I tried it with cranberries and without sugar, I was over the moon! Substituting olive oil for the margarine and using part whole wheat flour makes it even better. These freeze pretty well, and are a wonderful breakfast or coffee break snack.

1 whole unpeeled orange, washed and cut up
1/2 cup (125 ml)no-sugar-added orange juice
1/2 cup (125 ml) chopped dates
1 egg
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons (80 ml) olive oil (OR 1/2 cup/125 ml  hard margarine, softened)
1 cup (250 ml) all purpose flour
3/4 cup (175 ml) whole wheat flour
1/4 cup Splenda artificial sweetener
1 1/2 teaspoons (7 ml) baking powder
1 teaspoon (5 ml) baking soda
1 cup (250 ml) dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 400*F.

Measure flours, Splenda, baking powder and soda in medium sized bowl. Make a well in the centre.

Cut orange into 7 or 8 pieces. Remove seeds. Combine orange pieces and juice in a blender. Puree. Add dates, egg and olive oil to blender. Blend.

Pour orange mixture into the well in the dry ingredients. Stir just to combine. Gently mix in cranberries.

Fill greased or paper lined muffin cups 3/4 full. Place muffin pan in the oven. After 5 minutes, lower the oven temperature to 350* F. Bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until muffins are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the middle of one comes out clean.

Makes 12 large, 16 medium muffins.

Note: This recipe also made 3 mini loaves, which were nice when sliced and served with coffee or tea.

Blueberry, Banana and Bran Muffins

This recipe is presented as it appears in "Graham Kerr's Best", Copyright 1995 by The Treena and Graham Kerr Corporation. G.P.Putnam's Sons. These are awesome muffins. You've got to give them a try with the Yogurt Spread. Beautiful. Published here by permission.

Time Estimate: Hands-on, 20 minutes; unsupervised, 25 minutes.
Makes 12 muffins

2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 egg whites
1/2 cup nonfat milk
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup cake flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup wheat bran
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup fresh or frozen (not thawed) blueberries
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 ripe banana, sliced

Blueberry, Banana Yogurt Spread
yields 1 1/4 cups

1/2 cup mashed blueberries
1 medium ripe banana, mashed
1/4 cup plain, nonfat yogurt


Preheat the oven to 400*F. In a large bowl, whisk the brown sugar and egg whites until frothy. Stir in the milk, molasses, applesauce and vanilla.

In a medium bowl, combine the flours, bran, baking powder and baking soda. Stir in the blueberries, almonds and cinnamon. Add the banana slices, keeping them separated and making sure each slice is completely coated with the flour. Gently add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture. Don't overmix- it took me approximately 40 stirs to incorporate.

Line the muffin tins with foil muffin cups. Fill each cup two-thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. The muffins really stick to paper cups. I believe this is due to the low- fat content of the batter.

The yogurt spread: While the muffins are baking, mix the blueberries, banana and yogurt together until well incorporated.

To serve: Place each muffin on its own plate- remember: only one per serving- and spoon 1 tablespoon of the spread on the side.

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.

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.

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