Everybody's favorite. A light, lemony muffin filled with berries.

2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon minced lemon zest
1 egg
2 lightly beaten egg whites
1 cup Low Fat Blend (recipe below)
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 pint raspberries
12 paper or foil muffin cups

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, cream the sugar, oil, and zest. Add the egg and egg whites and mix completely. Add the Low Fat Blend and combine well. Add the vanilla and lemon juice and combine.

Slowly add the flour and baking powder, stirring until completely blended.

When the batter is smooth, add the raspberries and gently mix until the berries are somewhat blended; do not over mix and break up the berries.

Place the paper cups in a muffin tin. Fill the cups three quarters full with the batter. Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

NOTE: Blueberries make an equally terrific muffin.

Cal. per muffin 172; Chol. 9 mg

Low Fat Blend

Yield: 2 cups

1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1 cup low-fat or nonfat cottage cheese

Place the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. The mixture can be blended by hand. A food processor will not give the same consistency - it tends to break the mixture down and make it watery rather then creamy. I stash it in a plastic container in the fridge to use by the cup or spoonful in a myriad of ways. I use it in mousses and sauces, and as a replacement for sour cream, mayonnaise, or heavy cream. If non fat cottage cheese is available, so much the better.