Sinfully healthful muffins

By Kathy Manweiler

Even the reduced-fat muffins at restaurants often have more fat and calories than healthful eaters bargain for.

My streusel berry muffins taste sinful, but they’re good for you. I slimmed down the streusel with light butter and boosted the fiber in the muffins by mixing in some white whole wheat flour.

The original muffins called for more than a stick of butter, but I slashed the fat by using a small amount of canola oil plus some buttermilk.

My muffins also contain less sugar because the berries and the streusel add plenty of sweetness.

You can have one of my streusel berry muffins for 189 calories and 6 fat grams.

KATHY’S STREUSEL BERRY MUFFINS

For streusel topping:

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons white whole wheat flour

2 tablespoons light butter, chilled

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

1‚Ñ2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For muffins:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup white whole wheat flour

1‚Ñ2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1‚Ñ2 teaspoon baking soda

1‚Ñ2 teaspoon salt

1‚Ñ4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1‚Ñ2 cup egg substitute (or 2 eggs)

1‚Ñ4 cup canola oil

1 cup low-fat buttermilk

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel

3‚Ñ4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

3‚Ñ4 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

To make the streusel, in a small bowl, combine flours, brown sugar and cinnamon. Using two knives or a pastry blender, cut in light butter until the mixture is crumbly. Set aside.

To make muffins, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

In a large bowl, combine the egg substitute and canola oil. Add the buttermilk and lemon zest and whisk to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just to combine. Gently fold in the berries. Divide the batter into the prepared muffin tin.

Crumble the streusel topping over the muffins and bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Let the muffins cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then remove them and cool them on wire racks.

Makes 12 muffins. Serves 12.