i'd rather be baking

My friends and family know me to be a magazine junkie. If anyone knows of an appropriate twelve-step program, well, I don’t want to hear about it. I subscribe to several fitness magazines because they keep me motivated to exercise and, as a bonus, often have some great and more figure-friendly recipes. Athletes have to eat, too.

I pulled this recipe out of the July issue of Shape a few days ago and while I loved the idea of a low-cal blueberry muffin, I didn’t have any blueberries. That’s okay. I like blackberries and peaches better anyhow.

And I’d just like you to know that I made these the night my in-laws arrived for a visit, all the while stir-frying coconut shrimp, dusting, cleaning the kitchen, doing laundry and watching Gilmore Girls. Clearly I had enough on my plate, so to speak, but I just had to make muffins. Dang it.

Blackberry-Peach Muffins
Adapted from Shape Magazine

These muffins are not loaded with sugar or chocolate and low and behold, they are actually full of fruit and lean protein. I’ve learned that this doesn’t appeal to everyone. But oh boy, it appealed to Ryan and I, and we polished off the entire batch with no problems.

Makes 12 muffins

For the muffins:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour*
1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar, divided
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fat-free yogurt
1 large egg
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup fresh blackberries, washed, dried, and cut in half
3/4 cup fresh peaches, diced

For the topping:
1/3 cup all-fruit spread**
12 fresh blackberries, washed, dried, and cut in half

Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine flour, 1/2 cup of sugar, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk yogurt, egg, oil, and vanilla. Toss blackberries and peaches with flour mixture. Pour wet ingredients into flour mixture and stir very gently.

Line a muffin pan with paper liners or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Divide batter evenly; sprinkle with remaining sugar.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until tops are just set. Remove pan from oven; top each muffin with 1 teaspoon fruit spread and two blackberry halves. Bake 3 to 5 minutes more or until golden. Cool in pan for 10 minutes and serve. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.

*The original recipe calls for whole-wheat pastry flour, which I certainly did not have on hand. All-purpose works perfectly, but if you have the good stuff, you get a gold star!

**I used Crofter’s Superfruit Spread, but any sort of preserves you like will do.

High-Altitude Notes: Reduce baking powder to 1 1/2 teaspoons.