*Gingerbread Muffins with Apples & Cranberries*
2 T Mori-Nu light (1% fat) tofu
3 large ripe bananas
egg replacer for 1 egg
3 T sunflower oil
1/6 cup maple syrup
1/6 cup molasses
1/2 t vanilla extract (optional)
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup oat flour
1 T defatted soy flour
2 t baking powder (preferrably aluminum-free)
1/2 t baking soda
pinch of salt
2 t cinnamon
1 T ground ginger
1/4 t ground cloves
1/4 t ground mace
2 cups apples, peeled and cut in 1/2-inch dice
1 t lemon juice
1/2 - 1 cup dried cranberries (preferrably unsulfured)
Preheat your oven to 375. In a blender or food processor, proces
the tofu, egg replacer, oil, sweeteners, extract and bananas. In a large
bowl, combine the flours, spices (reserving 1 teaspoon of cinnamon), salt,
baking soda and baking powder. Make a well in the centre and fold in the
wet ingredients, working until moistened. Toss the apple pieces in the
lemon juice and remaining teaspoon of cinnamon, and then fold into the
batter (use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides, so that you don't lose any
of the spices). Spoon batter into the cups of a 12-muffin pan (non-stick,
or lined with muffin papers). Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, or until golden and
a toothpick/cake tester inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool
briefly beore turning out onto a plate.
A note about 'wholefood' baking:
Fill the muffin cups very full, using all of the batter, and bake
these muffins right away in a preheated oven. Wholefood batters rise best
by this method (but they still don't rise as much as standard muffin mixes).
Keep the muffins in the fridge when they're done; they freeze well for short
periods of time.
Substitutions:
In place of cranberries - dried currants, rasins, blueberries, cherries, etc.
In place of the vanilla extract - your fave extract, or this ingredient
can be omitted
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