Persimmon Spice Muffins

By Hklbrries

Persimmons are an excellent moisture retainer in baked goods, making them ideal to use with oat bran, which tends to absorb a lot of moisture. They are available in the late fall. Choose fruit that is as soft as possible (Hachiya is the variety to look for; the smaller, more compressed varieties with lighter skin are intended to be eaten while the fruit is still firm). The flesh should look translucent and have a jellylike texture. Slice the persimmon in half and scrape the pulp from the peel. To make a puree, put it through a strainer or blend it in a food processor.

Ingredients

• 3 cups oat bran
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp salt
• 5/8 cup persimmon puree
• 1/2 cup honey
• 5/8 cup nonfat milk
• 2 egg whites (from 2 large eggs)
• 1 cup grated McIntosh apple
• 1/4 cup dried currants

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Place paper liners in 16 muffin tin openings. Combine the oat bran, baking powder, spices, and salt in a mixing bowl and blend well. Combine the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl, blend them, stir them into the dry ingredients, and mix well.

Spoon the mixture into the muffin pans, filling each opening to the top (the muffins won't rise much), and smooth them over with the back of a spoon. Bake for 30 minutes or until brown on top and set in the center.

Cool the muffins thoroughly before serving.

Nutritional Information:
Per (1 muffin) serving
90 calories
.5 g fat
.2 mg cholesterol
235.0 mg sodium