#PROJECT RECIPE: Blueberry Muffins from Whole Living

You may remember last month, when I promised to tackle my growing stack of recipes printed from the Internet. I promised to make five per month--which if I didn't add any to the stack (I already have, I can't help myself...) would have me working my way through the stack in approximately 16 years.

For December, I've got one down and four to go! I made a blueberry health muffin recipe I printed from Whole Living Magazine's website a while back.

The thing that caught my interest about this recipe was the wheat germ. I have some wheat germ, and I don't know what to do with it. I order my flour and cornmeal from a local mill, Reed's Mill Flours in Second Creek, West Virginia. At one point, the guy who runs the mill sent me some samples of wheat germ, wheat bran and buckwheat bran with my order. He included some recipes for the samples for breakfast cereals, but I've never tried those. Wheat germ is super-healthy, being a good source of fiber, folate and several nutrients.

Changes I made to the recipe: I accidently used a whole cup of milk instead of 3/4 a cup, and it was whole milk, not 2%. Also, I always substitute apple sauce for oil in muffin and quick bread recipes. You save yourself some calories and fat by doing that, and you really can't tell the difference. Instead of brown sugar, I use Florida Crystals Demerara Sugar. It's less processed than regular brown sugar.

Did you know that to make brown sugar molasses is added to refined white sugar? But molasses is a by-product in the refining process of making sugar. So basically, molasses is removed from the raw sugar then added back to it to make brown sugar. Makes no sense to me. Plus, I love that Florida Crystals is certified carbon-free, meaning the production of sugar is completely carbon neutral.

I make muffins quite a bit because the Hubs and I like them for breakfast. This is probably a recipe I'll make again. They actually taste pretty sweet, although they have less sugar in them than my regular muffin recipe. They are slightly higher in calories, though, but not by much. My LoseIt! app tells me they are each 169 calories, based on the way I made them.

The PROJECT RECIPE verdict: this one's a keeper!

Blueberry Muffins with Wheat Germ adapted from Whole Living Magazine

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (I used stone ground winter wheat flour)

1/2 cup plus 2 Tb wheat germ

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2/3 cup sugar (I used Florida Crystals natural cane sugar)

1 Tb coarse sanding sugar (I used Florida Crystals demerara sugar)

1 cup whole milk

1/4 cup apple sauce (or 1/4 cup canola oil)

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups blueberries (I used frozen)

1/4 cup old fashioned oats

Spread wheat germ on a rimmed baking sheet and place under a broiler on low for 5 minutes, or until you begin to smell it. Check it and shake the pan to mix it around. Broil a it until it browns a bit. Remove from oven and set aside to cool slightly. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, 1/2 cup of the toasted wheat germ, baking powder, and salt. Add milk, applesauce, eggs and vanilla. Gently mix only until mixture is uniformly moistened. Fold in blueberries. Pour batter into a 12-cup muffin tin coated with non-stick cooking spray. Mix remaining wheat germ, oats and coarse sugar, and sprinkle about 1 tsp on each muffin. Bake 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.