This weekend we had to keep Axes entertained and away from anywhere near campus, which was overrun with die hard Penn State fans. The level of college pride here is truly impressive. Daddy revived the belly pillow fights of his youth. We took a trip to the airport themed park near our house, and then I decided it was time for cooking class, so Axes and I pulled out an old recipe I had and made whole wheat pumpkin cranberry muffins.

They weren’t too bad, but I decided I could use a little food science to improve them. The texture was a little rough, so I switched to whole wheat pastry flour instead of regular whole wheat flour.

I had previously increased the moisture content of the recipe, which I always do for whole grain recipes (the bran absorbs A LOT of moisture, so I always add extra and let batters rest for 15 minutes and doughs overnight), but now the muffins were a little gummy and the craisins were still not fully hydrated. So I soaked the craisins in the liquid, heating it to speed up the moisture transfer. I also subbed in apple juice for water to give an extra depth of flavor, and because I was lacking just a bit on sweetness. I also added 1/2 tsp vital wheat gluten to add just a bit of structure and suck up some of that moisture.

The previous recipe had called for equal quantities of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove, which I questioned at the time, but I figured what the heck, I’ll try. I should have followed Alyssa’s rule of always following your intuition, because 1/2 tsp clove is indeed way too much. It imparted a bitter taste on the muffins. I traded that out for 1.5 tsp pumpkin pie spice instead and added 1/2 tsp vanilla to round it out. I also substituted brown sugar for white sugar again to add some molasses notes and a depth of flavor.

The final addition was a struesel topping. I wouldn’t always add that, but I was planning to give some of these muffins as a gift. And these are heart healthy muffins, so they needed just a little something extra. 

Here’s the recipe:

• 1/3 cup apple juice
• 1/2 cup craisins
• 1 can pumpkin
• 1.5 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup light tasting oil (I use olive oil, you could use canola)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1.5 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon vital wheat gluten

Stuesel Topping

• 1/4 stick softened butter
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white flour (I wouldn’t use whole wheat here, as the bran will not absorb water, so it will be rough)
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon (This was kind of spicy on top, so I may leave it out next time)

Add the cranberries to the apple juice and then heat in the microwave for about 45 seconds. It depends on the strength of your microwave, but you want it pretty hot but not necessarily boiling. Let that sit while you do everything else. Mix the pumpkin, spices, eggs, vanilla, oil, and sugar. Remind your child several times not to touch the batter. Wash his hands.

Add the dry ingredients. Mix with a whisk.

Mash the struesel ingredients together. You could use a fork or a pastry blender. A spreader worked very well.

Divide the batter into muffin tins. It made about 18 muffins for me. Sprinkle struesel on top. Your child will want to do it himself. I guess you can let him do one. Let sit for 15 minutes. This is the resting time to allow the bran to hydrate. In the meantime preheat the oven to 350F.

Bake for 17 minutes. Insert a skewer or a knife. If it comes out clean, they are done. If not, wait 1-2 more minutes.

Enjoy.

And share.

 

Sensory fact: did you know that it is more consumer friendly to call them heart healthy rather than low fat, low sugar?

Sensibility fact: protect your tickers. I just found out my dad will likely need a major surgery soon to clean out blockage in an artery.

Watch this space for more healthy recipes. It is a passion of mine.