Backpost: I’ve been continually working to update the muffin recipe that originated as one from Emeril but since has little in common. I’ve now substituted all butter for applesauce- and trust me, you can hardly tell (my next goal is to home-make all the applesauce so that these guys are 100% organic), and they are virtually organic, whole wheat, close to fat-free muffins. Yeah, you didn’t think it was possible, did you? Neither did I, and therein lies the beauty of it. But I’m now very close to perfecting these, and the wonderful thing about it is is that anythign can go in them! Though these are apple-cinnamon-raisin, I’ve also made banana-walnut-almond, and plan to make many more in a wide variety of flavours. I’m very surprised Austin has no commercially-available (to my knowledge- please correct me if you’ve found any!) whole wheat, organic, insanely low-fat muffins. I’d also like to try making a vegan variety, but the eggs have me stumped… and I can’t think of an egg substitute. But all things in due time! For now, these are a winner. I’ve brought them to work, parties, friends’ apartments… they get gobbled! How do your muffins fare?
Some notes:
- I tried cupcake liners on these and, actually, they weren’t at all helpful. Maybe for the tiny ones, if for no other reason than the fact that my mini muffin pan sticks very easily and thus it’s difficult to coax the muffins out, but if not, I’d actually just lightly grease the pan and put the batter right in!
- The more applesauce you subtitute for butter, the lighter and airier these get- but certainly not to a point of crumbliness, or of no longer being a good snack! You can substitute the butter out fully with confidence- particualrly if you’re adding fruit or other ingredients to the batter to give it some more texture and definition.
- I’ve found streusel toppings to often be the fattiest part of the muffin so… just forgo it! Your muffin will be more portable- and healthier- without it.
- When I made these with smaller apple chunks, no one could tell they were there. The apples will reduce in size during the cooking process, so don’t be alarmed if your apple chunks seem a bit on the, well, chunky side- they’ll become smaller as they bake and it will keep a nice delicious crunch to your muffin.
- Though cupcakes may be the “it” thing to bring to gatherings and parties now, I’d like to contend that a big box of home-made muffins would be equally yummy, and far less guilt-inducing!
- My friend Sasha has informed me that pumpkin puree makes for a good egg substitute. In my next iteration of these, I’ll make that substitution and post regarding the results.
