Whole Wheat High-Fiber Applesauce Muffins

I went to work this morning absolutely STARVING.  I keep some cereal at my desk, but definitely wanted/needed something more today.  It's always a struggle to run down to the coffee shop and find something healthy (I mean come one, we're talking about pastries here), so I decided when I got home today that I would make some muffins to bring into work with me for the rest of the week.  Of course this is my goal, but things change quickly around our house and food disappears fast.

 {Yes, that is a cinnamon stick}

Luckily my boyfriend's dad, Steve-O, loves to cook, and he sent me this recipe back in February.  I must give credit where credit is due, so Steve if you're reading this, thanks for the recipe.  I can't believe that I still have it in my inbox, let alone that I haven't even made these yet!  Somewhere in the back of my mind I must have known that I needed to have these around the house and stored the recipe away in a mental "do not delete" folder.  I've tried the muffins before when we've gone to visit, so I can tell you that they are an amazing substitute to the "healthy" breakfasts served at mainstream coffee houses.

The muffins came out of the oven and they filled our kitchen with the smell of cinnamon and apple (which was hard to do considering my boyfriend was making Chicken Tortilla Soup - I will post pictures and recipe later).  The smell brought me straight into fall and made me want to bundle up in a sweater and make a fresh-brewed cup of coffee.  Our summer has been pretty awful here in Seattle this year, so it's no surprise that fall may already be upon us (think pumpkin waffles, butternut squash soup, apple pie . . . yum).

These muffins are PACKED with fiber, so I definitely won't be going hungry anytime before lunch.  Not being hungry at work is key when you can't get away from your desk (ex: being stuck on long conference calls - especially early in the morning).
**I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that they will last me even until Friday!!**

{Recipe} Steve-O's Whole Wheat High-Fiber Applesauce Muffins

Ingredients:  

   * 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

   * 2 tsp baking powder
   * 1/4 tsp baking soda
   * 1/4 tsp salt

   * 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
   * 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
   * 3 Tblsp fiber (powdered fiber)
   * 1 cup Splenda brown sugar
   * 1 egg, beaten
   * 1/2 cup buttermilk
   * 1 tsp vanilla
   * 1/4 tsp cinnamon
   * 1/8 tsp powdered ginger


1.) Preheat oven to 375 and grease 12-cup muffin tin or fill with muffin liners

2.) In a large bowl, mix together the following ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt

3.) In another bowl, whisk together melted butter, applesauce, fiber, brown sugar, egg, buttermilk, vanilla, cinnamon and ginger

4.) Fold wet mixture into dry mixture and stir until just combined.  The batter will be very thick, but that is how it's supposed to be.

5.) Fill muffin tins or liners; bake for about 15 - 20 minutes or until muffins are puffed up and turning golden brown on top.  You can double check by sticking a toothpick in the center of a muffin, if it comes out with nothing on it, then it is done.  Serve warm if possible (even if that means re-heating once you get to work).  ;)

Yield: 12 muffins