low-fat muffins

Last weekend's coffee stop at Cafe Lladro reminded me how cruel muffins are to nonfat ingredients. There it was, a topping-spilling-over-the-sides-homemade-looking blueberry muffin with a label "low-fat." Innocent enough, right?

Wrong! It was rubbery. It didn't crumble. And it didn't even tempt me to have more than one bite (ok, two...I give anything a second chance!). "I can do much better than that!" I foolishly thought.

Ok, so my attempt wasn't nearly as bad as the rubbery mass of so-called muffin I had at the coffee shop, but it also wasn't so great that I'd quit my job and start a muffin business tomorrow.

I've been seeing a lot about cherries lately, so when I ran across this recipe while browsing HoustonChronicle.com on my cell phone during my commute home on the bus one afternoon, I immediately went to the store to pick up a few ingredients and got to baking.

Of course, I wouldn't follow the instructions. A CUP of oil?!? Not in my breakfast, pass the apple sauce! Sugar? Splenda, pretty please. Egg beaters too.
You're getting the idea...


The batter was scrumptious, though it made a ton! I don't have muffin pan, so I had to buy the cheesy heart shaped ones that can be used on a cookie sheet (saves me precious cupboard space at least). I ended up filling about 20 muffin liners and 2 small round casserole dishes.


So I couldn't keep my spoon out of the batter (so good!), they baked up beautifully, but the final verdict? Meh...take 'em or leave 'em. The taste and texture was disappointing out of the oven, but they were actually a lot better cold out of the fridge the next morning. Not rubbery at all, but just not moist and crumbly like a good muffin should be.


My low-fat muffin quest continues...