Winter Is For Baking
by Dorothy Fletcher

Although I do cook all year round, much to Fletch’s relief, I especially like baking in the winter.  And if we are stuck in the house because of a snow day, it’s definitely time to start baking.

I often make bread or if I’m feeling particularly ambitious, cinnamon rolls.  But this winter my goal has been to keep extra pounds from attaching themselves to us so I have been trying some more modest recipes.

We love muffins and both liked how these turned out.  But don’t mistake them for those fat and sugar bombs sold at certain coffee shops and restaurants.  Some of those units can easily be up to 400 calories each.  So don’t expect these muffins to taste the same—but believe me, they’re good.
This recipe for muffins is easy enough to pull together if you have a few ripe bananas and a reasonably stocked pantry.  And no, don’t go driving over to the supermarket on a snow day—just improvise!

Banana Oatmeal Muffins

1 ¼ cups flour

1 ¼ cups oatmeal

2/3 cup sugar

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 egg

2 cups mashed bananas

1/3 cup melted butter

1 cup raisins*

Mix the flour, oatmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, thoroughly mix the egg, banana and butter.  Pour the banana mixture into the dry ingredients and gently mix until most of the dry ingredients are absorbed.  Do not overmix.  Add the raisins to the batter.
Portion batter into prepared muffin tins (I line mine with paper cups).  Bake at 375F (or 350 convection) for about 18 to 20 minutes, until a tester comes out clean.  Remove to a wire rack to cool.
If you make 20 muffins, each will be about 150 calories.  Bigger muffins, more calories.

* You can use chopped dates (my favorite), dried cranberries or no addition at all.