In response to the request for a healthy muffin recipe, I'd like to share a
recipe from my cookbook, Fix-it-Fast Vegetarian Cookbook. This make-ahead
batter keeps in the refrigerator up to a week, allowing you to make muffins
at a moment's notice. (The make-ahead batter is a time-saving technique
that some bakeries use.) See the variations at the end for
Orange-Cranberry Muffins, Cherry-Almond Muffins, Banana Muffins, and
Lemon-Zucchini Muffins.
Orange-Date Pumpkin Muffins
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Baking Time: 12-20 minutes, depending on size
Makes: 22 muffins or 54 mini muffins
15 oz. pumpkin puree (1 can)
1 1/2 cups chopped pitted dates
1/2 cup orange juice concentrate + 1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped orange peel
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or whole wheat flour
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
4 teaspoons baking powder, preferably aluminum-free
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup brown sugar or other sweetener
1/3 cup oil
1/2 cup cholesterol-free egg product (or 2 eggs)
Preheat oven to 400 F. Spray muffin tins with cooking spray. Stir first
five ingredients together and set aside. Stir dry ingredients (next seven)
together in a separate bowl and set aside. Stir sugar, oil and eggs
together in a large mixing bowl. Stir in half of the dry ingredients. Stir
in half of the pumpkin mixture. Stir in the remaining ingredients in two
batches, alternating the dry and the wet ingredients. Batter will be fairly
thick. Scoop or spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Promptly
refrigerate unused batter in a tightly sealed container. Label, date, and
bake within 7 days. Bake for 15-18 minutes (11-13 minutes for mini muffins)
until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Store muffins covered
at room temperate up to 3 days, or freeze up to 3 months.
Nutrition Facts per serving (1 muffin): 200 cal;. 5 gm total fat (0 gm sat.
fat), 0 mg. chol., 220 mg sodium, 37 gm carbo., 3 gm fiber, 19 gm sugars, 4
gm pro. Daily Values: 60 % vit. A, 8 % vit. C, 10% calcium, 8% iron.
Diabetic Exchanges: 1 bread 1 fruit, 1/2 other carbohydrate, 1 fat
Orange-Cranberry Muffins: Replace pumpkin with 1 1/2 cups unsweetened
applesauce Replace dates with dried cranberries.
Cherry-Almond Muffins: Replace pumpkin with 1 1/2 cups unsweetened
applesauce, replace orange juice with 1/2 cup buttermilk or plain nonfat
yogurt, replace dates with dried cherries, replace walnuts with sliced
almonds, omit orange rind, and replace vanilla with 1 teaspoon natural
almond flavoring (or 1/2 teaspoon almond extract.)
Banana Muffins: Replace pumpkin with mashed banana (about 3 large). Replace
dates with raisins. Omit orange peel. Replace cinnamon with 1 teaspoon
grated nutmeg. Decrease sugar to 3/4 cup.
Lemon-Zucchini Muffins: Replace pumpkin with grated zucchini, replace dates
with currants, replace orange juice with 1/4 cup lemon juice and 1 cup
milk, replace orange rind with lemon rind, replace cinnamon with 1/2
teaspoon ginger and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, and increase sweetening to 1 1/3 cups.
Heather Reseck, R.D.
Author of Fix-it-Fast Vegetarian Cookbook (Review and Herald Publishing
Association, 2002)