Posted on: Wednesday, May 4, 2005
LIGHT & LOCAL
Making muffins for Mom
By Carol Devenot
One of the most precious memories I have is of the Mother's Day when my 4-year-old son surprised me with breakfast in bed. I woke up to the most beautiful breakfast a mother could dream of. On his modest little tray were some scrambled eggs, burnt toast with butter and jelly, instant coffee and orange juice. He couldn't find any flowers in the yard, so he picked some weeds and wildflowers and put them in a little bud vase. I am still touched by this memory, though he's grown up now.
Why not create this same magic and make Mom breakfast, but instead of burnt toast try my Banana Muffins for Mom?
When I originally made these muffins, I made the mistake of using paper liners. Auwe! The batter baked in the grooves, and I had to cut away most of the muffin to get at the middle. This happened because there's enough fat in the batter to keep the muffins from sticking. So instead of liners, spray the muffin tins well with a nonfat cooking spray.
I've used date sugar here, as I like to do because it's more healthful. But I had another reason, too: Adding the date sugar to the flour keeps the flour granules separate and prevents lumping so that the liquid and dry ingredients combine readily. The oil and egg are beaten together to form an emulsion before stirring in the milk. This better disperses the small amount of fat, providing a greater tenderizing effect. Gentle folding strokes rather than vigorous beating should be used to combine the liquid and dry ingredients to prevent development of the gluten.
The oat and walnut topping make a nice contrast of textures between the moist interior and the crunchy topping. Serve the muffins warm, with or without a whole fruit topping. You will make your mom very happy, indeed.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray the muffin pans with nonfat cooking spray.
In a mixing bowl, sift together whole-wheat and all-purpose flours, baking powder, salt and spice. Stir in the sugar. Microwave the margarine in a mixing bowl for a few seconds. Cool margarine slightly and then beat in egg whites, soy milk and grated orange rind.
Carefully fold in the dry ingredients. Mash the banana with a fork and add to the mixture. Be careful not to overmix. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins and fill each to about three-fourths to the top.
Combine the rolled oats and walnuts. Sprinkle a little of the mixture over each muffin and bake for 20 minutes or until the muffins are golden.
Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick through the center of a muffin. If the toothpick comes out clean, transfer muffins to a wire rack. Serve warm or cold.
Serves 10-12.
• Per serving: 127 calories, 3 g protein, 5 g fat, 20 g carbohydrates, 1.5 g dietary fiber, 107 mg sodium: 9 percent protein, 63 percent carbohydrates, 35 percent fat.
Banana Muffins for Mom
Want a local recipe lightened up? Write Light & Local, Taste Section, The Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802; or taste@honoluluadvertiser.com. Carol Devenot is a Kaimuki-raised kama'aina, teacher and recipe consultant, and author of "Island Light Cuisine" (Blue Sea Publishing, paper, 2003). Learn more at www.islandlightcuisine.com.
