Cranberry-Orange Wholewheat Oatmeal and Wheat Germ Muffins

Just as weekend means indulgence, the week means restriction at my household. Restriction not in terms of food or taste but in terms of bad calories and unhealthy food. While you can manage to restrict your diet during the three main meals, the mid-mornings and tea-times are the hardest to resist and that is where the trick to healthy eating lies. I bake a healthy munch on every week to help me get rid of my cravings as well as keep a watch on the calorie intake and nutrition level. When on a restricted diet, you are most likely prone to miss out on essential nutrients (especially for a non-fruit eater like me), and bakes such as these help me fill up the gap. Try these muffins if you like to bite into a little something with your cuppa and enjoy it guilt-free. 

Ingredients

1/2 cup raw wheat germ

1/2 cup oatmeal, lightly roasted and ground

1 cup wholewheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup dried cranberries

3/4 tsp mixed spice (you can use a mix of ground cinnamon and nutmeg; I used storebought mixed spice)

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup orange juice (I used canned)

1/4 cup extra light olive oil (you can use canola oil as well)

1 tsp grated orange rind (I used  yellow lemon rind as I did not have fresh oranges at hand)

Direction

Mix the flour, oatmeal, wheat germ, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and mixed spice and keep aside. 

In another bowl, whip the sugar, oil, orange juice, eggs, and lemon/orange rind till smooth. Fold in the flour mixture until just combined. The batter will not be runny but slightly lumpy. 

Pre-heat the oven at 175 degree celsius. Line a 12-hole muffin tray with paper liners and drop a spoon full of the batter till about 3/4th of the cup. Even out the top and continue for the rest of the batter. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes till a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the top is nicely golden. If the top browns faster than the muffin being baked, lower the temperature to 160 degrees to avoid burning. Remove from oven when done and let it cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before storing it in air tight containers. Re-heat the muffins for 10 secs in the microwave before serving for best results.