muffin help!

[erinyyc]

Is there actually such a thing as healthy/light muffins that turn out moist and fluffy like the fattening ones you buy? Mine always turn out dense and dry and sort of resemble thick hockey pucks!
Erin http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/frown.gif

[ElinorC]

Erinyyc,
Try this recipe. It's one that we love. Be careful when measuring your flour. Spoon it out of the container and level off the cup with a knife edge (or any straight edge). It's usually too much flour that makes low-fat muffins dense and hard. Also don't stir too much--just until moistened. Good Luck!

* Exported from MasterCook *

Blueberry-Yogurt Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar
1 medium egg -- lightly beaten
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 8 oz carton vanilla low-fat yogurt
1/2 cup blueberries, frozen -- thawed
vegetable cooking spray
1 tablespoon sugar

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture.

2. Combine egg and next 4 ingredients; add to dry ingredients. Stir JUST until dry ingredients are moistened. Gently fold in blueberries.

3. Spoon batter evenly into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray; sprinkle 1 tablespoon sugar evenly over batter.

4. Bake at 400 degees for 18 minutes or until golden. Remove from pans immediately; cool on a wire rack.

Yield: 1 dozen muffins.


Source:
"Cooking Light"
Ratings : Excellent Keeper 10
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per serving: 150 Calories (kcal); 3g Total Fat; (18% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 27g Carbohydrate; 17mg Cholesterol; 208mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates

[Vanessa]

Hi. When baking low fat muffins or breads etc its VERY imp to measure correctly and not to overmix. Also if you have the dry mix then make a hole and add the wet to the dry and mix just until moist spponing the batter into muffin pans you will have a light muffin. I also noticed muffin recipes containing yogurt or buttermilk tend to be moist.
I make this all the time (Dec96 C Light)
Lemon Poppy Seed muffins
*be sure to grte the yellow colored part of lemon rind.
2 c flour
1/2 c sugar
2 tab poppy seeds
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 tab veg oil
1 tsp grated lemon rind
2 tab fresh lemon juice
1 -8 ounce carton lemon low fat yogurt
1 large egg lightly beaten
Preheat oven to 400. Combine first 6 ing in med bowl. Make a well in center of mix. Combine oil, rind, juice, yogurt and egg; stir well. Add to dry ing and stir just until mois.
Spoon batter evenly into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray.
Bake 14 minutes or until golden. REmove muffins inmediatelly from pan and place on a wire rack.

[Ed]

Hi,

These Carrot muffins are light and good.

Carrot Muffins

2 cup + 2 Table spoons all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 pound carrots (I use more than that becuse you
need 2 cups coarsley shredded carrots and
if I have a little more than 2 cups I put
the extra in too.)
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup sweet flaked coconut
3 large eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup apple sauce
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 granny smith apple

heat the oven to 350° and spray 18 to 24 1/2 cup muffin cups with cooking spray.
Into a large bowl sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt, and whisk in the sugar.
Coarsely shred enough carrots to make 2 cups.
Add shredded carrots, with raisin and coconut, to the flour mixture and toss well.

In another bowl whisk together eggs, oil, apple sauce, and vanilla. peel and core apple and coarsley shred. Stir shredded apple into egg mixture, and add to flour mixture, stirring until batter is just combined well.

Put the batter in the muffin cups, filling them a scant 3/4 full, and bake in the middle of the oven until puffed and a tester comes out clean. About 15 to 20 minutes.

Cool the muffins in cups on racks for 5 minutes before turning them out of the tins to cool completely.

Muffins will store in an airtight container at room temp. for up to 5 days, if they last long enough to need to be stored.

If desired chopped nuts can be added to the recipe.

Don't know all the technical stuff for fat, sodium, etc. but the Weight Watcher points are 2.55 points per muffin.

Hope you like the recipe. Like I said these muffins go pretty fast around here, because everyone from kids to adults like them. So we have my 87 year old Mother-in Law, my 79 year old Mother, and my 4 and 7 year old grandsons and the rest of us tweeners, all sitting down enjoying a snack and good conversation together.

I usually make a double batch.

I will add that It really is easy to make these Muffins.

Ed