Good Morning Muffins

Muffins, widely thought of as “health food,” are often a fat and calorie trap for dieters. Some have as many as 250 calories in a single serving, and a considerable amount of fat. But there are several things you can do to cut fat from your muffin recipes. Use 2 egg whites or 1/4 cup fat-free egg substitute instead of each whole egg. Replace whole milk with skim milk. Reduce the oil to 1 tablespoon per cup of flour.

We used these techniques in the following recipe. Reminiscent of carrot cake, these low-calorie muffins can double as either an on-the-go breakfast or a sugar-free dessert.

• 3/4 cup unbleached flour
• 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1/4 cup oat bran
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp grated orange peel
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 1 lightly beaten egg white
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 medium carrot, shredded

Spray 10 muffin cups with no-stick spray (or line the cups with paper baking cups); set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together the unbleached flour, whole-wheat flour, oat bran, baking powder, cinnamon and allspice.

In a small bowl, combine the orange peel, orange juice, egg white, oil and honey. Add to the flour mixture and stir just until combined. Stir in the carrots.

Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake at 400 degrees F about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the centers comes out clean. Remove the muffins from the muffin cups. Cool completely on a wire rack.

To store: Individually wrap each muffin in freezer wrap and freeze until ready to serve.

To serve: Thaw overnight at room temperature. Or thaw and reheat each muffin in a microwave oven on high power (100%) for 15 to 20 seconds.

Chef’s note: When you have extra zucchini from the garden, shred it and use in place of the carrots.