Applesauce Muffins

A few weeks or so ago, I came home from one of my favorite activities*, grocery shopping, and discovered that a huge jar of apple sauce that I did not purchase had somehow found its way into my shopping bag. I meant to take it back to the store and explain that apparently someone else did not receive the applesauce they had intended to purchase, but December is busy and I went home for almost 3 weeks. So now that February is here, it just seems silly to go an try to return it... Right? I am not stealing, right?

Anyway, so for now, this large jar of sweetened applesauce that I would have never purchased of my own volition is in my fridge, begging to be used before it begins to grow mold (hence, why I don't purchase even my preferred unsweetened appelsauce). Here is one of my attempts to use it up before it goes bad/is forgotten about.

P.S. Notice how little oil/fat is in these muffins?

*It is only one of my favorite activities when it does NOT include large bulk stores' harsh aesthetics and unhelpful employees who do not speak the same language as me and so cannot help me find anything in the hundreds of rows of primarily processed/manufactured foods. 

^please excuse my health-freak self, it gets a little stressed in certain stores^

Applesauce Muffins
Adapted from Rose Shulman

Yield: 12-15 muffins

170 grams (1 1/2 cups) whole-wheat flour

70 grams (1/2 cup) unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

45 grams (about 1/4 cup) packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons canola oil

1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sweetened applesauce

3/4 cup pecans, coarsely chopped (feel free to add in whatever mix-ins you like: craisins, chocolate chips, etc)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with a rack in the middle. Prepare 12-15 muffin tins/cups with paper liners.

2. Sift together the flours, baking soda, spices and salt.

3. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar until the mixture is thick. Beat in the oil, yogurt, and applesauce. Whisk in the flour mixture without overbeating, and fold in the pecans.

4. Evenly divide among 12-15 muffin cups that you prepared with paper liners. Bake 20-25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then enjoy.

Sesame-Coconut Snack Squares

In case you are sick of super-sweet desserts and all of the over Thanksgiving fare, these bars are a great, fairly-healthy snack to keep you satisfied through the Holidays. Though they do take a little more time than a typical bar because of the whole wheat crust baking before the sesame-coconut topping, They are well-worth the effort.


Sesame-Coconut Snack Squares
Yield: 18-20 squares. From Rose Shulman

For the cookie base:

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 1/2 ounces (1/2 cup) raw brown sugar or organic sugar

6 ounces (1 1/2 cups) whole-wheat pastry flour, sifted

For the sesame-coconut layer:

1 ounce (1/4 cup) whole-wheat pastry flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 eggs

1/2 cup mild honey, like clover

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 ounces (1/2 cup, firmly packed) unsweetened shredded coconut

1 to 2 ounces (1/4 to 1/2 cup) sesame seeds, coarsely ground

1. Make the cookie base. Butter a 9-by-13-inch pan and line with parchment. Butter the parchment.

2. Cream the butter with the salt and sugar. Add the sifted flour and blend together. Using your hands, press out the dough over the bottom of the parchment-lined pan in an even layer. Using a fork, make holes all over the surface of the dough (this is called docking).  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. Bake the cookie base for 20 minutes, until it is just beginning to brown. Remove from the heat and cool for at least 5 minutes before topping.

4. Sift together the flour and baking powder. Beat the eggs with an electric mixer or whisk until light and thick. Add the honey and vanilla and beat until well blended. Add the flour and baking powder and beat to blend. Add the coconut and sesame seeds and stir together. Spread in an even layer over the cookie base, scraping out every last bit with a rubber spatula. Place in the oven and bake 20 minutes, until the surface is just beginning to color. Remove from the heat and allow to cool before cutting into squares.