This looked simple enough, and very delicious, but I may have screwed it up by using the wrong kind of sugar. I’m going to taste one of these muffins when I finish writing this up and then we’ll all know. If I did screw it up, I’m going to make them again; the idea of a 3-point (Weight Watchers) gingerbread muffin is just too enticing to pass up over a sugar mistake.
I started with dry ingredients: flour (whole wheat white), baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger. I increased the cinnamon to a heaping teaspoon and used about 3/4 of a teaspoon of ginger.
I whisked. Had Juliet been around, she would have whisked, but she’d already gone to bed, and had only called downstairs once for an extra hug & kiss, which I duly delivered.
I got out another bowl, and poured half a cup of 1% milk. The next ingredient was cane sugar, so I grabbed what I thought was cane sugar and poured it in.
As you can see, it IS cane sugar, but it’s also, more specifically, Demerara, which has some extra molasses in it. I didn’t realize this until afterwards, and just had to hope that the molasses flavor wouldn’t overwhelm, because the next ingredient was, of course, molasses.
I was supposed to finish this off with applesauce, but I decided to use yogurt instead. (Vanilla low fat, as that’s what I had around.) I like the fluffiness that yogurt gives muffins, so I thought it was worth a shot.
I stirred that all together with some vigor.
I poured the wet ingredients into the dry, and mixed. I admit the batter was a bit stickier than I am used to for muffins. More vigor was needed.
I glopped it into muffin cups, distributing as evenly as I could, and then mixed up the cinnamon sugar for the top: two tablespoons of the aforementioned Demerara, and half a teaspoon of cinnamon.
I sprinkled it on top of the muffins, forgetting to take a picture, and popped them into the oven. Oddly enough, it said to bake at 355 degrees, so I heated to 380 and then reduced to 355 after putting them in. In about fifteen minutes or so, they were done.
I let them cool in the trays for five minutes, while I finished cleaning up & made some tea. Tea and gingerbread muffins seemed like a good idea for an evening that wraps up a long weekend. They looked really good.
When I took them out, they looked even better.
I let them cool, then sat down with tea, a muffin, and some Criminal Minds episodes (now that my Downton Abbey viewing is sadly done and I’m all caught up).
And the verdict?
Delicious. I might try using regular cane sugar next time, and adding a little crystallized ginger, but these are great and I can’t believe they’re only 3 WW points. A lovely treat. I suppose gingerbread is supposed to be a winter flavor, but I don’t care.
Addendum: They are even MORE delicious the next day. The flavor really pops! I picked up some crystallized ginger today because I am going to make these again soon.
HEALTHY GINGERBREAD MUFFINS RECIPE (original)
My version of Healthy Gingerbread Muffins (adapted from Southern In-Law)
ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat white flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup 1% milk
scant 1/3 cup cane sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup low fat vanilla yogurt
topping:
2 tablespoons turbinado or demerara sugar (any sugar would work here, really)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
directions:
Heat the oven to 380 degrees. Grease or spray a 12-cup muffin tin, or line with muffin cups.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger. Set aside.
In a second bowl, combine the milk, sugar, molasses, and yogurt. Stir well.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until just combined. It may take more vigor than your average muffin batter, as it gets a bit thick and sticky.
Using a large spoon, glop the batter into the muffin cups, distributing as evenly as possible. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar topping on each one.
Put the tray into the oven, andreduce the temperature to 355 degrees.Bake for 10-15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. (Mine took 15.)
Remove to a wire rack as soon as you can do so without burning your fingers. Let cool, and enjoy. Don’t tell people they’re healthy until after they eat them! They’ll have no idea.
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