Spring is springing, my friends, and Ronicooks is back on track to shed that added insulating weight from all the rich stews and desserts we’ve been enjoying.  Back to the YMCA for Pilates, Yoga, and Zumba, and back to low-fat cooking and Myfitnesspal for monitoring and logging food diary and progress.

This morning’s kitchen aromas are coming from a batch of 6 oversized muffins, and I’ll regard each serving as 1/2 muffin just to toe the line I’ve drawn for myself.

This recipe is not only wholesome and pretty easy to put together, but the ingredients yield a lovely chewiness with a bit of crunch from the added walnuts:

LOW FAT MAPLE OATMEAL MUFFINS WITH WALNUTS & PRUNES

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup each all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, and quick-cook oats

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 extra large egg

2 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup Grade B maple syrup

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup walnut oil (or other vegetable oil)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

10 chopped pitted prunes

PROCEDURE:

Preheat oven to 375.  Lightly grease a muffin tin for 6 oversized muffins (my muffin tin holds 1 cup in each compartment).

Combine first 6 ingredients in large mixing bowl.  Whisk all other ingredients together and add to dry ingredients, mixing by hand until just combined.  Fill the muffin cups full and bake for about 30 minutes, until toothpick tester comes out clean.

Cool briefly on a rack and then remove by gentling coaxing them out with a table knife.

A whole muffin is about 532 calories, but 1/2 is just perfect for a serving – 266 calories, 6 grams protein, 9 grams fat, 43 grams carbohydrate.