Cherry-Wheat Germ Muffins

This recipe appeared in a feature on muffins earlier this year in Cooking Light (May 2011 issue). They looked promising, but I tried one of the other recipes first (jalapeno cornbread) and didn't like the taste of them (probably not enough sugar). So I scrapped the article until recently, when I saw this recipe again in the 'best of' CL issue.  I recently bought wheat germ (high in vitamin E, supposedly decreases risk of allergies in babies), so decided to try this.

The muffins came out very tasty. Hubby liked them a lot, which is nice because I tend to like baked goods and breads more than he does. One thing to watch for - I accidentally bought tart dried cherries, not sweet ones, and they are mouth-puckering tart. Good thing I chopped them, or would be too difficult to eat a full sour cherry in one bite.

Cherry Wheat Germ Muffins
1.5 cups (6.75 oz) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/4 cup canola or light olive oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Combine dry ingredients (flour, cherries, wheat germ, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, allspice) in a large bowl. Make a well in the center.
3. Combine buttermilk, oil, and egg. Add to the flour mixture, stirring until just moist.
4. Line 12 muffin cups with liners and coat with cooking spray. Divide mixture evenly among cups.
5. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, or until wooden pick inserted in middle comes out clean.