Pumpkin Barley Oat Streusel Muffins

Photo courtesy Alberta Barley

If you’re looking for a whole grain flour for your baking, consider  barley flour.  Besides the fact that most whole wheat flours available in supermarkets  in Canada are not whole grain, barley flour offers both soluble and insoluble fibre.  Soluble fibre offers a range of health perks including those for both blood sugar regulation and blood cholesterol lowering.

Look for barley flour in some supermarkets, specialty and health food stores. There are plenty of barley flour recipes in Go Barley, Modern Recipes for an Ancient Grain,   or at the Go Barley website.

But you can also use it in your baking by substituting 1 cup barley flour for equal parts flour in your favourite  recipes.

These muffins, originally  from my book, The Enlightened Eater’s Whole Foods Guide,  have the double whammy of soluble fibre from both the barley and oats and they’re yummy too!

Pumpkin Barley Oat Streusel Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

Streusel:

1/4 cup oats (any  variety, uncooked)
1 tbsp soft non-hydrogenated margarine, melted
1 tbsp firmly packed brown  sugar
1/8 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Muffins:
1  1/2 cups barley flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup oats (any variety, uncooked)
2 tbsp coarsely chopped nuts
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tbsp  baking powder
1 1/2  tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp  baking soda
1 cup canned or cooked  pumpkin
3/4 cup skim or 1%  milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg, lightly beaten

Heat oven to 400°F. Line 12 medium muffin cups with  paper baking cups or lightly grease bottoms only. For streusel, combine all ingredients; mix well. Set aside.

For muffins, combine dry ingredients and nuts; mix well.  Combine pumpkin, milk, oil and egg and add to dry mixture; mix just until dry ingredients are moistened. Fill muffin cups almost full. Sprinkle streusel evenly over batter, patting gently. Bake 22 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Let muffins stand a few minutes; remove from pan. Serve warm.

Per muffin nutritional information: calories: 220 ; protein: 5 g; fat: 8 g; saturated fat:  1 g; carbohydrate: 34 g; dietary fibre:  4 g; sodium:  78  mg.