Lemon Poppy Seed Mini Muffins

I don't usually crave sweet things - I'm more of a salty, savory, crunchy kind of gal.  But, when I see a picture of something that looks yummy, is relatively easy to prepare AND is good for you, I sometimes can't resist.  Such was the case with these muffins.  I have been looking through a lot of 'healthy choices' cookbooks since my Body Challenge started a few weeks ago, and these little beauties popped right out at me.  I have never claimed to be much of a baker so, while wondering if they would actually come out of the muffin tin when done, I decided to give them a try.

I only needed to buy a few ingredients that I didn't already have in my cupboard (like oat flour), but after running out and picking a few things up, I whipped these mini muffins up after the kids went to bed.  I love it when they like to help, but I also love it when they don't - you know..?  Anyway...  They only took about 15 minutes to prepare before I slid them in the oven, and I was pleasantly surprised at how easily they came together.  If you like lemon poppy seed treats and are trying to keep the sweets to a minimum - or even if you aren't - these are a great snack or a sweet addition to a scrambled egg breakfast.  AND, at just over 40 calories each, you can afford to eat a few on the go (in fact, they are almost too portable).

Ingredients:

Non-stick cooking spray

1 cup whole grain oat flour (found in a small bag by other flours)

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup fat-free vanilla yogurt

3 large egg whites (I used the equivalent amount in liquid egg whites)

1/3 cup honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp lemon extract

1 tbsp grated lemon peel

2 tsp poppy seeds

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly spray mini muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.  The original recipe suggests processing the flour in a food processor until it's the consistency of all-purpose flour, but I didn't see a need to do this (and they turned out fine).  Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Sift (or stir gently) the dry mixture.  In a separate mixing bowl, combine the yogurt, egg whites, honey, vanilla and lemon extract until well mixed.  Add the dry mixture to the yogurt mixture until just combined and then add the lemon peel and poppy seeds.  By the way, if you don't have a lemon (or an easy way to grate the peel, like a microplane), I think they would still turn out good without it.  Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin.  Bake for 9-11 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (or close to clean).  Cool the muffins for 5-10 minutes before removing from tin, and then finish cooling on a rack.

To my surprise, most came out of the muffin tin without incident and, more importantly, tasted amazing.  They also stored great in a simple gallon zip bag and everyone who tried them loved them (okay, except for my picky eater).  I love it when healthy ingredients come together to make a really delicious treat that others wouldn't even suspect as being good for them!  Give them a try and let me know what YOU think.

BTW... For all my fellow Body Challengers reading this, each muffin has 1g of protein and 8g of carbs, so I think one muffin is perfect to have with a string cheese for a 1P-1C-1F snack.  YUM!

Recipe adapted from The Biggest Loser Cookbook