Things That Make Me Go Mmmmm....Cinnamon Swirl Muffins

You would think we'd be into some summer recipes about now, right? Well, the rain is relentless, so I just want warm and cozy still. Plus, this recipe is BOMB.

 

Workout today:
90 minute intervals on the elliptical 
10 mins of core work
Usually Wednesday nights are spin nights for me, but I have to work tonight due to some surprises this weekend that I can't WAIT for...more on that tomorrow :)

I am totally chilled to the bone because of this dreary weather, and I was feeling the need to bake some warmth back into my life! Just having the oven on and the smell of baked goods warms my soul. My friend SB was watching me cook yesterday and she said..."Your favorite spice must be cinnamon." I laughed because she is TOTALLY right. I put it in everything...my oatmeal every morning...my protein shakes. I bake with it constantly. The smell makes me so happy, and let's not kid ourselves, it tastes divine. 

Cinnamon has also been shown to lower LDL cholesterol, and help regulate blood sugar levels. Some studies also show it has an anti clotting effect on the blood, and may help decrease belly fat. Not bad if you ask me.

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Swirl Muffins 
Makes 12 Muffins 

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 small mashed ripe banana
1 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup splenda (or agave/honey/sugar free syrup)

Cinnamon Swirl Topping
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
In a large bowl combine mashed banana, skim milk, vanilla, and splenda. Mix that together. In a separate bowl combine dry ingredients; flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Add dry ingredients to the wet and combine. In another small bowl combine white sugar and cinnamon.
Spray your muffin tins or line tins with muffin liners. Put a large spoon full of batter into each tin. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar mixture. Cover with another spoon full of batter and sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar mixture. You can swirl each muffin with a toothpick to create swirls in the batter if you like. Bake in oven for 17 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy!

I loved these muffins because they are dense and delicious. They have a sweet crisp outer shell, and are soft and moist inside. I ate mine with a little spray butter and it was YUMMY! Oh, and my kitchen smelled heavenly!

Nutrition Facts for One Muffin: 101 calories, .3 grams of fat, 21.6 grams of carbs, 1 gram of fiber, 4.3 grams of sugar, and 2.9 grams of protein.
I think next time I will add a cup of greek yogurt to boost up the protein content and increase the moisture even more.

Do you like cinnamon as much as I do? What are your favorite uses for it? If not cinnamon, what is your favorite spice?