| Orange and Butternut Squash
Muffins Golden Door (California) Makes 12 muffins There's no doubt that fat carries flavor-not just in muffins, but in other baked goods and countless dishes as well. Since we're all trying to reduce our fat intake, one way to reduce the amount of fat in baking is to use flavorful ingredients that add moisture to the batter. Baked butternut squash and juicy oranges do the job here. 1/2 small butternut squash Vegetable oil in a spray bottle or 1 teaspoon vegetable oil 3 oranges 2 & 1/3 cup chopped pitted dates (16-18 dates) 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar 2 tablespoons canola oil 1 tablespoon honey 1 egg, lightly beaten 2 egg whites, lightly beaten 1 &1/2 cups semolina flour 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the butternut squash on a baking sheet; bake for 40 minutes, or until soft. Let cool, cut in half, and scoop out the seeds. (Reserve them for another use if you wish.) Scrape 3/4 cup of the cooked squash into a mixing bowl. Meanwhile, spray or grease a 12-cup nonstick muffin tin with vegetable oil; set aside. Grate the oranges to make 2 teaspoons of zest. Peel the remaining oranges and separate the segments of all 3 oranges. Remove all pith. Cut the outer membrane from the orange segments. Chop the segments and add to the cooked squash. Mix in the orange zest, dates, brown sugar, oil, honey, and the beaten egg and egg whites. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the semolina flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Pour the butternut squash mixture into the dry ingredients; mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them about 2/3 full. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the tops of the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Turn onto a wire rack; serve warm or let cool. Print a copy of this article, Share it with a friend, and tell them about Destination Spa Group® at www.destinationspagroup.com |