4B Mini Muffins

4B Mini Muffins
Originally uploaded by Marni Molina

To kick off Snack Day for Healthy Resolutions Week, I present to you 4B Mini Muffins. The four Bs are:

1. Blueberries
   
2. Banana
   
3. oat Bran
   
4. wheat Bran

The banana in these little muffins keeps them moist and adds a subtle sweetness that compliments the maple syrup. They are, quite simply, the best bran muffins I've ever made. They're light (especially for bran muffins) and a little sweet. Their petite size makes them a great snack to keep you going between meals, though you can use the same recipe to make a dozen standard-sized muffins, as well. You'll just need to adjust the baking time. The trick with these little babies is not to over-bake them, lest you desire blueberry hockey pucks. I've adapted this recipe, making it vegan and even healthier with fewer calories, from The Biggest Loser book.

4B Mini Muffins
Makes 24 mini muffins

• 3/4 cup unprocessed wheat bran
  
• 3/4 cup oat bran
  
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
  
• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
  
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
  
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
  
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (or other berries)
  
• 3/4 cup nonfat soy milk
  
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
  
• 1 ripe medium banana, broken into several pieces
  
• 1 Ener-G egg replacer mixed with water per package instructions
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Lightly coat 24 nonstick muffin cups with cooking oil spray.
   
2. In a medium bowl, combine both brans, flour, flaxseed, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add berries and gently stir to coat them with the dry mixture. (This prevents them from sinking to the bottom of the muffins later.) Set aside.
   
3. In a blender, combine the soy milk, maple syrup, banana, prepared Ener-G egg, olive oil, and vanilla and blend until smooth.
   
4. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in liquid ingredients. With a spoon, stir gently until just combined.
   
5. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of batter into each prepared muffin cup. Bake about 8 minutes or until the tops of the muffins spring back when pressed gently in the centers. Do not over-bake. 
   
6. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from the cups. Serve warm or cool completely on rack.

To freeze these muffins for later use, wrap cooled muffins tightly in plastic wrap and place in freezer bags. Freeze for up to 3 months.

NOTE: If you don't have both types of bran, you may substitute 1 1/2 cups of either kind.

Per Muffin:

• 72 calories, 17 calories from fat, 2g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 0mg cholesterol, 80mg sodium, 13g total carbs, 2g dietary fiber, 5g sugars, 2g protien, 
  
• eGL*: 6
  
• WW points: 1

* eGL = that's estimated Glycemic Load for those of us that need to watch our blood sugar. Try to keep it to 100 or less per day.