Gingerbread Muffins

1/2 cup unsweetened, unflavored applesauce

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

½

teaspoon baking soda

¼

teaspoon baking powder

½

teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

½

teaspoon ground allspice

4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), room temperature

1½

cups packed dark brown sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup low-fat buttermilk

Place a wire mesh strainer over a bowl deep enough to keep the bottom of the strainer from touching the bottom of the bowl and add the applesauce. Set aside.

Place the oven rack in the middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray a standard muffin tin with vegetable oil. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger, cinnamon and allspice until combined. Set aside.

Add butter to a stand mixer and mix at medium speed for 2 minutes. Measure out 1/4 cup drained applesauce and add it and brown sugar to the bowl and mix for 3 minutes more. Add eggs one at a time, mixing each for 20 seconds. Add buttermilk and mix for 20 seconds, or until combined.

Remove bowl from mixer stand, add dry ingredients and with a large spatula stir and fold dry ingredients into batter until just combined; do not overmix.

Use a large spoon to drop batter into prepared tin and bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into muffin's center comes out clean, 18-22 minutes. Rotate pan halfway through baking time. Cool muffins in tin for 5 minutes; transfer to wire rack and cool for 10 more minutes. Serve warm.

Serves 12.

Cook's note: For an extra ginger kick, grind 3 tablespoons crystallized ginger with a 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a food processor until finely ground. Sprinkle evenly on top of each muffin before baking.

@Recipe nutrition:Nutrition values per muffin (without topping): 205 calories (22.7 percent from fat), 5.2 g fat (2.8 g saturated fat), 35.2 g carbohydrate, 0.6 g fiber, 3.8 g protein, 47 mg cholesterol, 204 mg sodium.