muffin cups: there are sizes to those things?

We are always looking for quick, easy, healthy breakfast items for Mike to grab as he's heading out the door.  So, I ripped out the article in Cooking Light and immediately made the Cherry Wheat Germ muffins.  OK, not immediately. I had to go to the store, get wheat germ, and dried cherries (two very important ingredients, hence the name: Cherry Wheat-Germ muffins) and I also needed to get muffin liners because if there's one thing I hate to clean, it's the muffin tin.

Seriously, abhor it.

Anyway, back to those muffins... I purchased the trusty ingredients, brought them home, started making the muffins and lo and behold, the muffin liners didn't fit...What?!?! They have sizes for those things? I had no idea. Clearly I don't pay too much attention while at the grocery store's baking aisle. 

Anyway, back to those muffins...the good news is that using the wrong size muffin liner doesn't affect the outcome of the tast-i-ness of the muffin.  Seriously, tasty. And they have wheat germ and came from Cooking Light, which means, it's OK to eat two.

(Or at least, that's what I tell myself.)

Ingredients

• 6 3/4 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 3/4 cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• Cooking spray

Preparation

• 1. Preheat oven to 400°.
• 2. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 7 ingredients (through allspice) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture. Combine buttermilk, oil, and egg in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.
• 3. Place 12 muffin-cup liners in muffin cups, and coat liners with cooking spray. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in pan on a wire rack.

Maureen Callahan, Cooking Light
MAY 2011

[click here to go directly to the recipe at Cooking light]