Wholesome Fruit Muffins

"With four whole grains and three dried fruits, these muffins are a great way to get a variety of antioxidants and fiber. Wheat germ is a good source of vitamin E. Look for untoasted wheat germ in the organic food section of the supermarket. Adding boiling water to the batter and allowing it to sit for 15 minutes before baking allows the hearty oats, wheat germ, and bran to soak up the liquid for a more tender muffin." - CL

Happy Monday everyone! Looks like I'm starting the week off on a healthy foot, showing that wholesome can indeed still be yummy! These muffins are proof. Feel free to switch it up flavorings with different dried fruits or even swap in some chopped apple. One word of advice: I recommend using paper liners in your muffin tins as these tend to stick (due to the low fat content). I learned that the painful way as many of these had to be dug out, leaving some muffin bits stuck to the pan.



Wholesome Fruit Muffins
12 servings | Adapted from Cooking Light, Jan 2006

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons untoasted wheat germ
2 tablespoons wheat bran
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1/3 cup chopped dried apricots
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice, let stand 15 mins)
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup boiling water

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 7 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Stir in oats and dried fruit. Make a well in center of mixture. Combine buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and egg; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Stir in boiling water. Let batter stand 15 minutes.

Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove muffins from pans and cool on a wire rack.