Quickbreads come together in a snap, and you can cut the time even more by completing the early stages in advance. It's really easy to serve a basket of fragrant muffins at breakfast, fresh from the oven, with a minimum of fuss. Simply set up the ingredients in two separate bowls the night before and store them, covered, in the refrigerator. The dry ingredients are mixed together in one bowl and set aside and the liquid ingredients in another bowl. Combine as directed and bake the following morning. Overbeating can toughen the finished product, and adding dried fruit or nuts with

(Photo: Juan Carlo. Wheat, corn meal and soy flour form the base of these sweet, easy-to-make Cranberry Spice Muffins.

the dry ingredients will minimize the mixing action. My method also places the liquid ingredients in the larger bowl. This also speeds up the mixing process because the flour mixture is quickly folded into the larger bowl with a rubber tipped spatula, just until the ingredients are combined. The batter should be a little lumpy. These muffins are quite delicious without eggs, or dairy, and prune puree is used to replace the fat and tends to enhance the flavor and extend shelf life. These Cranberry Spice Muffins are also delicious split and toasted under the broiler and served with jam.

Cranberry Spice Muffins*
*Reprinted with permission,The Enlightened Kitchen, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ©Marie Oser 2002

12 Muffins

• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup, plus 1 tablespoon yellow corn meal
• 1/4 cup soy flour
• 1 tsp. non-aluminum baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/4 tsp.ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup prune puree
• 3/4 cup evaporated cane juice
• 2 Tbsp.egg replacer powder
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1/2 cup enriched vanilla soymilk 1 % fat
• 3 tablespoons unsalted sunflower seeds
  
  Preheat oven to 350°, Spray muffin cups with olive oil cooking spray
  In a medium bowl combine the pastry flour with the corn meal, soy flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt Stir in the cranberries and set aside. In a large bowl, mix the prune puree with the sugar. In a small measuring cup, whisk together the egg replacer powder with the water until foamy. Add to the sugar mixture, stir to blend and the soymilk.Quickly fold the dry ingredients into the liquid mixture. Pour into prepared muffin cups and sprinkle with sunflower seeds. Bake 25 minutes, or until tester comes out clean.
  

Enlightened Cranberry Spice Muffins 
Nutrition Analysis: per muffin
Protein 5g, Carbohydrate 46 g, Fiber 4g, Fat 2 g, Cholesterol 0mg, Calcium 54 mg, Sodium 251mg.
Calories 214
from Protein: 8%, from Carbohydrate: 83%, from Fat: 9%

Traditional Cranberry Spice Muffins 
Nutrition Analysis: per muffin
Protein 6g, Carbohydrate 44 g, Fiber 2g, Fat 13 g, Cholesterol 60mg, Calcium 50 mg, Sodium 340mg.
Calories 312
from Protein: 7%, from Carbohydrate: 56%, from Fat: 37%

Ingredients of Note

Whole Wheat Pastry Flour-Made from soft wheat, the recommended whole grain flour for cakes and quickbreads. Whole wheat pastry flour is available from Bob¹s Red Mill and Arrowhead Mills in health food stores.

Soy Flour-A finely ground flour made from soybeans which is very high in protein (35%--twice that of wheat flour) and low in carbohydrates.Mixed with other flours in baking, as it contains no gluten. Soy flour is available from Bob¹s Red Mill and
Arrowhead Mills in health food stores.

Evaporated Cane Sugar-An unbleached, and minimally processed cane sugar, which is light in color and finely granulated. It can be substituted 1:1 for refined white sugar. Available from Wholesome Sweeteners and Florida Crystals, in health food stores.

Non-aluminum,Baking Powder- double acting baking powder is available at health food stores and many supermarkets. From Rumford, Featherweight, and Cellu.

Egg Replacer powder-A dry powder mixed with cold water that is very effective in baked goods, At health food stores and online at www.healthy-eating.com or www.dixiediner.com.

Prune Puree-Prepared prune puree, actually prune filling, is available in supermarkets with the Kosher foods or on the baking aisle under the brand names, Solo Lekvar, Baker and Sokol .

Enriched Vanilla Soymilk 1 % fat -Enriched with vitamins and minerals, particularly calcium, soymilk can be used to replace
cow's milk 1:1 in any recipe. Enriched soymilk is widely available in supermarkets and health food stores.