KAHALA reader "H.C." is trying to lower her cholesterol and asked for a muffin recipe using oat bran. Oat bran flour
lightens these low-fat muffins"My doctor said I can't have any eggs," she said.
Two recipes follow from "The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure Cookbook" by Robert Kowalski (Harper & Row, 1989, $19.95).
Kowalski writes about cranberry oat-bran muffins, "I like these muffins so much that I keep a supply of cranberries in my freezer so I can enjoy them throughout the year, not just during the autumn and winter.
"Using a food processor to render the oat bran to a flourlike consistency gives the muffins a lighter, cakier texture.
"You can, of course, cut the recipe in half to make only 12 muffins, but I think you'll like them so much you'll want the full two dozen."
Oat bran is available in the box at supermarkets, or in loose bulk at health food stores such as Kokua Market (79 cents a pound regular, or $1.39 organic) and Huckleberry Farms ($1.19).
1 (1 pound) box oat bran Cranberry Oat Bran Muffins
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 cup fresh or frozen whole cranberries
1-1/2 cups (12 ounces) skim milk
1-1/2 cups (12 ounces) frozen white-grape-juice concentrate
1 (8 ounce) container Egg Beaters (equivalent of 4 eggs)
1/4 cup canola or rice-bran oil
1/4 cup chopped walnutsPreheat oven to 425 degrees. In a food processor with large metal blade, combine oat bran, sugar and baking powder. Process until bran has flourlike consistency. Add whole cranberries to and pulse a few seconds to break them up
Mix moist ingredients.
Combine all ingredients; mix gently. Pour batter into muffin pans lined with paper baking cups. Bake 17 minutes. Test for doneness with a toothpick; it should come out moist but not wet.
Makes 24 muffins.
Note: To make this recipe without a food processor, omit the grinding of the oat bran and cut the cranberries into small pieces with a paring knife.
Approximate nutritional analysis per muffin: 154 calories, 5 grams fat, 0.25 milligram cholesterol, 23 milligrams sodium.*
1 (1 pound) box oat bran Orange Oat Bran Muffins
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons baking powder
3 tablespoons grated orange peel
1 (12 ounce) can frozen concentrated orange juice (1-1/2 cups)
1-1/2 cups (12 ounces) skim milk
1 (8 ounce) container Egg Beaters (equivalent of 4 eggs)
2 tablespoons canola or rice-bran oil
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 to 4 tablespoons club sodaPreheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix oat bran, sugar, nuts, baking powder and orange peel.
Combine moist ingredients, except club soda. Blend moist and dry mixtures. Sprinkle club soda over mixture and gently fold into batter; you'll see the batter puff up.
Pour into muffin pans lined with paper baking cups. Bake 17 minutes. Test for doneness with a toothpick; it should come out moist but not wet.
Makes 24 muffins.