Cooking Done Light

These muffins can be made into both sweet or savory varieties to suit your needs. Because they are filled with sweet jam, they contain very little sugar. You can switch things up by putting chopped raisins, fruit butters, or large dried fruits (like a pitted prune, dried fig, or dried apricot) in the center instead of jam. For a savory variety, try putting a small cube of cheese, a spinach-ricotta filling, a sundried tomato, or a flavored low fat cream cheese in the center.

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup all purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar (white or light brown)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 teaspoons canola or olive oil

1 cup skim milk with 1 tablespoon vinegar added (or fat free sour cream, or low fat buttermilk)

1 whole egg, lightly beaten (if you are watching your cholesterol, see “The Facts on Flax” for an egg-replacement)

1/4 cup jam (any flavor you would like)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and lightly spray a 6 cup jumbo muffin tin (or 12 cup regular sized tin) with nonstick cooking spray (you can also use paper liners, if you prefer). Set aside.

In a large bowl combine the flours, sugar, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the applesauce, oil, milk and egg. Add the wet ingredients into the dry, stirring only enough to moisten everything.

Spoon half of the batter evenly into the muffin tin; then spoon 1-2 teaspoons jam in the center of each muffin cup, and top with the remaining batter (spreading it, if necessary, to cover the jam.)

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Allow the muffins to cool for at least 10-15 minutes before removing them from the tins.

Makes 6 muffins. Per jumbo muffin: 259 calories, 3 g total fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 23 g carbohydrates, 4 g fiber, 4 g added sugar, 4 g protein, 127 mg sodium, 19 mg cholesterol.