Orange Sweet-Potato Muffins

You'll feel like one of the baking wizards at a healthy spa when you bake these tender, tangy muffins. They're full of whole grains, fruit, and vegetables and have not a trace of cholesterol. Spread two with peanut butter for a healthy breakfast or have one plain after your workout.

Orange Sweet-Potato Muffins

Active time: 20 minutes. Total time: 45minutes. 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 1 cup baked, mashed sweet potato (200 grams)
• 1/4 cup corn or canola oil
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground ginger
• 1 orange (zest and juice)
• enough water to stretch orange juice to 1 1/4 cup
• 2 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour (300 grams)
• 2 tablespoons finely ground flaxseed (14 grams)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• shortening or paper cupcake liners

Method

1. If you don't have a baked sweet potato on hand, poke a medium-sized one with a fork so steam can escape and microwave on high until soft, about 7 minutes, turning sweet potato over about halfway through. Split hot sweet potato in half to speed cooling. Mash insides with a fork and compost skin.
2. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a twelve-cup muffin pan or use paper liners.
3. Stir flour, flaxseed, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl with a fork or whisk until well blended. Stir in brown sugar.
4. In a medium bowl, stir together mashed sweet potato, oil, ginger, and orange zest. Juice orange, then add water to juice to make 1 1/4 cup liquid. Stir into sweet-potato mixture.
5. Stir wet ingredients into dry ones just until well combined, with no dry flour lurking at the bottom of the bowl.
   
   
   
   
6. Divide batter evenly in muffin cups and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from muffin tin and cool on a wire rack for at least five minutes. Cool thoroughly then store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to four days or wrap well and freeze.
   
   

Tips

• Stir muffins, brownies, and other tender baked goods made with whole wheat flour as little as possible. Too much stirring develops the gluten network, creating tough muffins. Tough Muffins is a great band name, but not such a good breakfast.
• Make several batches of Orange Sweet-Potato Muffins in the winter and early spring while oranges are in season. Freeze to enjoy during the hottest summer days. Put muffins in freezer-weight plastic bags and close the seal around a drinking straw. Suck as much air as you can from the bag, then quickly remove the straw and finish sealing the bag. Removing the extra air will minimize freezer burn.