Banana-Walnut Breakfast Muffins

I used to be really intimidated by oil free baking. When my palate was accustomed to the texture of high-fat baked goods, the slightly different mouth feel that came in a fat-free product was a little off-putting. But over the years I've actually begun to enjoy the fat free versions of muffins, quick breads, pancakes, and cookies, much more so than their oily counterparts. The "Banana-Walnut Breakfast Muffins" (page 524) already have two things going for them to improve their chances of success after leaving out the oil - the inclusion of bananas which lend moisture and tenderness to the final product, and flax seed which is a good replacement for egg. The walnuts also lend a tad of richness and crunch. I replaced the 3 tablespoons of oil with about the same amount of applesauce (I used one of those single serving containers, unsweetened). Fat free baked goods usually end up tasting better a day or two after they bake, and this was true of these as well. A delicious treat, good not only at breakfast, but also a nice accompaniment to soup or salad, or a good anytime snack.

 

"Keeping it McDougall Friendly" checklist:

ü     Use 100% whole wheat flour, or 100% whole wheat pastry flour instead of half whole wheat, half white.

ü     Omit the oil and use an equal amount of applesauce (a nice complement to the apple juice also used in this recipe).

ü     Instead of oiling the muffin tin, use paper liners, or use a non-stick pan, such as the ones made from silicone. Note: if you use paper liners when baking fat free muffins, you might have difficulty removing the papers on the day they are baked. But by the next day, they should peel off easily.