So here we are in the early days of January. The merry-making of the holiday season is over. I'm bummed about that; I just love Christmastime with all the lights, decorations, parties and, of course, all the delicious food and treats. Now in January, it appears we're left with the aftermath and it just doesn't feel right to sit here and write about rich desserts. Everyone's cutting back and as much as I dislike the idea of dieting and excessive restraint, I, too, can tell that I might have enjoyed the holidays a teeny bit too thoroughly.
I'm not taking sweets or desserts out of my life - oh no. I'm just taking it slow and practicing a little more restraint for a few weeks. But I still have a strong urge to bake something all the time so I'm trying to focus on some lighter, more healthful choices. So today, I'm making blueberry-banana muffins. Two fruits in the title means it has to be good for you, right? Yes!
This muffin not only has blueberries and bananas in it, it has other good stuff we can boast about too. Wheat germ, for one. And instead of just all-purpose flour, these muffins are made with a combination of whole wheat and all-purpose flour. I use white whole wheat flour, which I think has a more subtle texture and flavor but still all the benefits of plain whole wheat. Yes, there's still butter and sugar in this recipe. Specifically, there's roughly 2/3 tablespoon of butter and less than one tablespoon of sugar per muffin. And don't forget all the good stuff in there: blueberries, banana, wheat germ, whole wheat flour - and we even use 2% low-fat milk! So I think we can all have one of these on a January morning without any guilt.
The best part? Other than they're better for you than the typical muffin, they taste really good! The muffins are soft and moist, not heavy at all, and I love the little bit of grainy texture from the whole wheat flour and wheat germ. I have to tell you I was tempted to sprinkle some sanding sugar on top of these just before they went into the oven but I restrained myself...and I think they are just sweet enough without it. Now if you want to go ahead and do that though, I think it would be a good idea.
