A New Year's Resolution...

Well, we're 5 days into the new year, my pants are a wee bit snug, my treadmill is covered with dust, and I find myself pondering a question that perhaps many of you are too:  Can I rid myself of my muffin top (the result of too much holiday indulgence, no doubt) without having to rid my diet of muffins and other delights?

Let's just say that from resolutions made (and broken) in years past I know my own limitations.  Cutting out baked goods has never been and probably never will be a good idea.  I always start out with iron-clad resolve and the best of intentions, but inevitably fall off the wagon with a thud, sometimes mere hours after I've sworn myself to abstinence.  Perhaps what I need this year is a compromise - keep the baked goods, but aim to make things a little less sweet, a little healthier.  For example, instead of making cupcakes, I'll make muffins.  There's no frosting involved.  Surely that must be a step in the right direction.  So here it is - my vow for January - no cookies, no truffles, no cake (unless a birthday is involved).  No pie. No brittle.  No bark.  But there will be coffee cake.  Quick bread.  Scones.  Perhaps a bun or two.  And muffins.  Most definitely, there will be muffins.

And what better time to turn over this new leaf than today?  It was a mere 35 degrees in Central Florida this morning when I woke up.  I needed to warm up the house, and I was hungry.  What better way to kill two birds with one stone than to bake some muffins?  I've been toting around Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave for quite awhile now.  I've eyed the recipe for Apple-Pecan Muffins many times, but have been hesitant to bake them because they call for wheat flour.  Knowing the health benefits of whole grains, I admit that I should have embraced wheat flour a long time ago.  But if I have to choose between tastiness and healthiness, I choose tastiness every time.  I worried that the wheat flour would overpower the flavor of the other ingredients.  That the muffins would turn out heavy and bland, and that once again I'd be eating something that was good for me, but didn't taste good.  But this is a New Year.  So I put my reservations about the wheat flour aside and whipped up a batch this morning.  Much to my delight (and the dog's, and  the neighbor dog's, and the neighbor cat's too) they turned out deliciously.  Moist, light and flavorful, the muffins were filled with chunks of apple (even though the recipe calls for just one), and the pecan-brown sugar streusel topping added just the right touch of sweetness.   Mmm mmm tasty.  If eating right tastes this good, I think maybe I can have my muffins and eliminate my muffin top too!

Apple-Pecan Muffins
Ellie Krieger - The Food You Crave
Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:
Cooking spray
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole grain pastry flour or whole wheat flour (I used whole wheat flour because I had it in the pantry)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1 cup natural unsweetened applesauce (I am not sure of the correct way to measure applesauce, but I used a liquid measuring cup rather than a dry one)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup lowfat buttermilk
1 Golden Delicious apple, cored, peeled, and cut into 1/4-inch pieces (I used Granny Smith instead because I didn't feel like running to the store)

Preparation:
1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.
2.  In a small bowl, mix together pecans, cinnamon and 2 tablespoons brown sugar.  Set aside.
3.  In a medium bowl, whisk together both flours, baking soda, and salt.
4.  In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 3/4 cup brown sugar and the oil until combined.  Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each addition.  Whisk in the applesauce and vanilla.  Stir in the flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the buttermilk, just until combined.  Gently stir in the apple chunks.
5.  Pour the batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling each about two-thirds full, and sprinkle evenly with the pecan mixture.  Tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the muffins comes out clean, about 15-20 minutes.
6.  Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes.  Run a knife around the muffins to loosen them and unmold.  Enjoy warm or let cool completely before storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:  1 muffin
Calories:  213; Total Fat:  8g (Mono:  3g; Poly:  1.5g; Sat:  1g); Protein:  4g; Carb:  35g; Fiber:  2g; Chol:  36mg; Sodium:  236mg