A Baker Is Reborn

Well, the time you all have been waiting for has finally arrived. I have decided it is time to begin sharing my recipes and new love found for learning about nutritional values with you all.
 
As some of you may know, I have recently rekindled my relationship (Steven may call it an obsession) with baking. This love was first born in the year 1999 while working at a bakery back home in Pennsylvania. Grandma's Country Oven Bake Shoppe was a place that allowed me to grow as a teenager, while filling my belly with some of the most perfect baked goods I have ever eaten.  In addition to helping me pack on the pounds, the owner of Grandma's, Kathy, taught me many of the basic skills needed for baking which I continue to carry with me to this day. After a wonderful stint at the bakery and nearly five years rocking the lovely signature bonnets the staff wore, I had my fill of baking and I became just a normal, unemployed, student/teenager and put my days at the bakery behind me.

 
Now, over 10 years later, I have once again realized how much I love baking and have channeled my inner baker. This time, however, I am more conscientious of nutrition and ways to make things taste good without all the extra unnecessary calories, fat, carbs and other stuff we need to be mindful of ingesting.
 
Okay, Emily. Blah, blah, blah get to the recipe.
 

Well first, let me be honest and say that the originial recipe for the muffins weren't as healthy  as they could be; they weighed in at around 280 calories each. Yikes! With the concept of Let's Be Wellness in mind, I modified the recipe. And voila! I was able to get the calorie intake down by 100 calories, just by substituting some of the ingredients with healthier options! I was also abke to reduce a lot of the sugars by cutting the amount of cherries in about half.  Not  bad if you ask me. So while this may not be the most calorie concious breakfast, it is healthier than when I started, and is a good treat when you are in the mood for something sweet in the morning.

 
Okay, this time I am really going to stop blabbing and get to the recipe! Enjoy!

 

 

Yummy Cherry Muffins!

 

 

Ingredients (8 muffins, 1 muffin per serving)

• Juice of 1 Lemon
• 2 Eggs
• 1 cup Fresh Cherries, halved and pitted
• 1 and 1/2 cups Gluten Free Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 cup Organic Cane Sugar
• 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 cup Unsweetened Applesauce
• 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt (I used peach Chobani because it was about to go bad, you can use whatever you have around or like)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Put muffin liners in the muffin tin
In a medium to large bowl, mix all dry ingredients
In a separate bowl whisk eggs
Add all liquid ingredients to eggs and mix together
Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour liquid mixture into the well
Mix all ingredients together until blended
Fold in cherries, don't over mix or it may make the muffins tough
Pour batter into the muffin tin evenly
Bake muffins at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, or when muffins are golden brown/resemble the picture below
Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes
ENJOY!

 

Side Note: I sprinkled granola on top of the muffins I made at home. It added a little extra yum, but also some unneeded calories and carbs.  
 
I hope you all enjoy these muffins and come back soon for more wellness tips and recipes! Let's Be Happy! Let's Be Healthy! Let's Be Wellness!