100% Whole-Grain Fig and Walnut Muffins...Amazing!

This comes from my weekly stack of torn out recipes from newspapers and magazines. Most of the time they just languish in a pile. But, this one spoke to me. Less sugar, 100% whole wheat, fiber and protein.

So, I tried this recipe from the March issue of Cooking Light, twice. The trouble with baking is you have to be exact. One small banana did not a 1/2 cup make and I only had a 1/4 cup of brown sugar, so I added white sugar to make up the difference. I also found that my oven bakes these little gems a lot faster than the directed 22 minutes. However, they tasted good enough to give them another go. And I am stubborn in my resolve when there is grand potential! In full disclosure, I accidentally purchased dark brown sugar, not light, (I know, really?) but undaunted I baked them again anyway and they are pretty darn delicious!

FIGGY WALNUT MUFFINS

6 oz. whole-wheat flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup wheat bran
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 medium ripe banana, mashed (about 1/2 cup)
1 large egg
3/4 cup sliced dried figs
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, wheat
bran, and next 3 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Set aside.

Melt butter in a small skillet over medium; cook 90 seconds or until browned and fragrant, swirling pan frequently. Combine butter, yogurt, sugar, vanilla, banana, and egg in a bowl. Add yogurt mixture to flour mixture, stirring until just combined. Add figs, walnuts, and ground cinnamon to muffin batter.

Divide batter evenly among 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. The second time I made
these I used muffin liners, which worked equally well and less clean-up! Bake at 375 degrees, and this is where I diverged quite a bit from the actual directions, I baked the muffins for 18 minutes, instead of the suggested 22. I did use a wooden pick to test for doness, which came out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on a wire rack.