Nourish: A healthful muffin that doesn't taste like one
If you are skeptical about trying a healthful muffin recipe, I don't blame you. Most of the better-for-you muffins I've tried have been disappointing: either dry or rubbery, or some sad combination of both. That precedent makes this recipe all the more compelling, because it will change your mind about what a healthful muffin can be.
These have a tender crumb, the aroma of warm apple pie and just the right level of sweetness.
A couple of key ingredient swaps make them so. First, a combination of applesauce and canola oil replaces the butter often used; the recipe contains less fat overall, although the muffins have a moist, cakelike appeal. Second, whole-wheat pastry flour provides whole-grain nutrition without a coarse, dense "health-food" taste. Most of the major flour manufacturers offer a whole-wheat pastry option, so if your store is not carrying it yet, request it. Alternatively, you would also get good results from using equal parts whole-grain and all-purpose flours.
My muffins are studded with soft chunks of apple and warm, sweet spices and are topped with a cinnamon-pecan crumb. You can feel good about enjoying them with your latte for breakfast - proof that you don't have to choose between something that's good for you and something that's utterly scrumptious.
• Ellie Krieger's most recent cookbook is "Weeknight Wonders: Delicious Healthy Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less" (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013). She blogs and offers a weekly newsletter at www.elliekrieger.com.