25 August 2006
Mmm, strawberries. I can take or leave those whompers they sell in US supermarkets (and here in the off season), but the little British-grown berries are so good! It seems that you can only buy giant punnets right now, which is just too many berries for me to eat before they go off (Rob doesn't like them).
The other day, I saw these low-fat apple muffins, and I thought, 'Hm. Low fat muffins, you say.' I love to bake (and then to eat the baked goods), but there's the problem of having a loaf/dozen/passel of high-calorie tasty treats begging to be et. Flour? Loads of calories. Sugar? Ditto. And butter. . . hoo, boy. A recipe that doesn't call for butter or oil? Innnnteresting.
I checked around (the internet) to see how people make muffins with no added fat. Yogurt is a common substitute, as is buttermilk. I've always got yogurt going spare, and I knew there was a low-fat strawberry yogurt sitting in the fridge. Throw in the punnet of strawberries, and it all came together. This is how I made my muffins:
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup strawberry yogurt
3 tbsp milk
1 egg
1/2 cup diced strawberries
Preheat the oven to 190C (about 350F, maybe a little over). Mix together the yogurt, milk, egg, and sugar. Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and then lightly mix with the wet. I stirred with a spoon until they were nearly combined, but not quite. The mixture sat happily while I diced the strawberries, which I then folded in until everything was thoroughly -- but not over -- mixed. Divide between ten muffin papers and bake for 15 minutes.
The results? Pretty. Not particularly muffin-y, though, as you can tell from the smooth, brown tops. In fact, I can't decide what they ARE like. They're almost bready and lightly chewy, as though there were yeast in. (Speaking of which -- would 190C heat kill bacterias? Have I created probiotic muffins? My brain says no, but my heart says yes.) They're definitely not cakey like muffins or cupcakes, but they remind me of something. I might have another to help me figure it out. In the name of science. You could help by making some too!
If I made these again (and I might!), I'd bake straight in the muffin pan, remembering to grease first. If you use papers, spray the insides with cooking, er, oil (not a fan of propelled oils, myself -- I'm not sure what they're called) -- mine stick very badly, meaning you have to gnaw the bottom from the paper. Not so ladylike. You can definitely tell they're low fat -- simply because they're not buttery and cakey -- but then, they're so far from being muffins, they're nice in their own way. And a bit more-ish.
Rob doesn't eat strawberries, but will he eat these?
They remind me of rock cakes that I used to have as a child - they look yummy!
posted by Rebecca at August 25, 2006 07:14 PM
I ADORE strawberry cakey things! Cakey or not, I will give your muffins a try =] You know, for science.
posted by Meggish at August 25, 2006 10:16 PM
One way I cut down on fat is to substitute equal amounts of unsweetened applesauce for the oil or butter. I've done whole cakes and other baked goods (from mix or scratch) this way and they come out fine. Things do stay moister longer, though, and they're a little heavier. Just make sure you grease the pan really well.
You can make things half-fat and half-applesauce (or other proportions) and it still works PLUS you reduce the fat.
Give it a whirl and see what you think!
posted by Juti at August 28, 2006 05:46 PM
these look delicious!!
posted by Anastasia at August 30, 2006 05:28 AM