Sweet Potato Muffins

These muffins have 1/3 the amount of sugar in the original recipe and yet they are still so delicious! Give them a try, the natural sweetness from the sweet potatoes and a little sugar is all you need for these muffins.

Vegetable oil cooking spray
1 large sweet potato or (1 ¼ cups canned) sweet potatoes, mashed
1/3 cup butter, room temperature
½ cup of sugar + 2 teaspoons
2 eggs
1 ½ cups (6 ½ ounces) whole wheat white flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt; divided
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract
½ cup of 1% milk
¼ walnuts chopped
½ cup raisins, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray muffin tins with cooking spray and set aside.
Wash the sweet potato and pierce it several times with the tines of a fork or a sharp knife. Place on a microwaveable plate and microwave for 5-8 minutes, rotating halfway through. While the potato cooks cream the butter and ½ cup sugar. Add eggs and mix well.
Once the potatoes are cooked, allow to cool while you sift flour with baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Once potato is cool enough to handle, cut it open and scrape out the flesh (~ 1 ½ cup). Mash it, add to the butter/sugar mixture and blend, add extracts. Next add the flour mixture alternately with milk. Do not over mix. Fold in nuts and raisins. Fill greased muffin tins 2/3 full and sprinkle tops with the remaining 2 teaspoons of sugar. Bake for 25 minutes

Yield: 18 muffins
Nutrition Breakdown: Calories 130, Fat 5g (2.5g saturated fat), Cholesterol 30mg, Sodium 80mg, Carbohydrate 18g, Fiber 2g, Protein 5g.
Percent Daily Value: 25% Vitamin A, 4% Calcium, 4% Iron, 0% Vitamin C
Carbohydrate choices: 1 Carbohydrate
Diabetes Exchanges: 1 Starch, 1 Fat