Diabetic bran muffins are healthy treat for everyone

Our family is thinking about the upcoming SEMO District Fair and our children are getting their projects ready to enter for judging.

We got a copy of the fair book and then decided which categories we would try. Ross, our 11- year-old, made his first batch of chocolate chip cookies all by himself. They were pretty good for a first attempt and by the time the fair comes I think he will have perfected them. Our 8-year-old daughter has a couple of Lego and K-Nex projects ready; now we just have to make sure they do not get destroyed in the next month.

I would encourage anyone with children to enter items in the fair. It is a lot of fun and a good experience for children.

I received a call from a reader who needed a recipe for low-fat bran muffins. After hopping on the web I found about 30,000 that I could share with her, but chose this one. I also pulled another recipe for carrot oat bran muffins she might enjoy as well.

Low-Fat Diabetic Bran Muffins

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 large egg

1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk

3 tablespoons canola oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup nonfat dry milk

3/4 cup Splenda Granular

1 cup wheat bran (also known as millers bran)

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons flax seeds

2 tablespoons dried currants (or raisins)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a muffin pan with nonstick spray or line muffin cups with paper liners. Mix applesauce, egg, buttermilk, oil, vanilla, salt, dry milk and Splenda Granular together in a large mixing bowl using a wire whisk. Stir until well blended. Add remaining wheat bran, flour, baking soda, and cinnamon. Stir well. Add remaining ingredients and stir until well mixed. Fill muffin cups with batter. Sprinkle tops with some bran flakes as a garnish, if desired. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven 20 to 25 minutes. Muffins will spring back slightly to the touch when done. These muffins are best served warm. Makes 12 muffins. Try adding 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, 1 cup blueberries, 1 cup raspberries, or 1 tablespoon grated orange zest to the batter for flavor variety.

Carrot Oat Bran Muffins

3/4 cup oat bran

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 cup honey

1 cup fat-free milk

1 egg

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup packed, shredded carrots

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, and line nine tins of a standard muffin pan with muffin papers. In a mixing bowl, combine oat bran, flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and allspice. In a small mixing bowl, blend honey, milk, egg and vegetable oil together. Slowly add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in shredded carrots. Fill each muffin paper with 3 heaping tablespoons of batter. Bake for approximately 25 minutes until muffins are golden and baked through.

Sticky Finger Biscuits

Liz Aufdenberg and I were visiting over the weekend and she asked for this next recipe, so I thought I would share it with all of you.

1 can Grands biscuits

1Ú2 cup butter

1Ú2 cup brown sugar

1Ú2 cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup, plus or minus by preference, crushed corn flakes, Cranberry Almond Crunch or a cereal of your choice

Melt butter in microwave. Add brown sugar, syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, and cereal. Mix well. Place biscuits in a 9-by-13-inch pan and pour syrup mixture over biscuits. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes. To serve, invert the entire pan onto a large serving platter, or as you serve each individual roll turn over so the gooey good stuff end up on top. I use Honey Bunches of Oats cereal on mine and it is very good. I also use a smaller biscuit as it works better in size for our children.

Chilled Spaghetti Salad

This cold pasta salad, simple but filled with flavor, has been sent in by Jodi Thompson of Jackson.

1 package (16 ounces) dry spaghetti, uncooked

2 cans (14.5 ounce each) Hunt's¨ Diced Tomatoes in Juice, drained

1 jar (12 ounces) chopped olive salad or tapenade, with red wine vinegar marinade (about 1 and 1/2 cups), undrained

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Rinse with cold water. Place in large bowl. Add tomatoes and olive salad; mix lightly. Refrigerate 2 hours, or until chilled. Toss before serving. Makes 12 1-cup servings.

Elegant Fruit Wedges

This recipe, also sent in by Thompson, has been around for quite awhile using a variety of ingredients. I have usually seen this using refrigerated sugar cookie dough in place of the pie crust. All the same, I'm sure it is quite delicious.

1 Pillsbury¨ refrigerated pie crust (from 15-oz box), softened as directed on box

1 package (8 ounce) cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons milk

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel

2 to 3 cups assorted cut-up fresh fruit

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Remove crust from pouch; unroll on ungreased cookie sheet. Flute edge, if desired. Generously prick crust with fork. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. In small bowl, beat cream cheese, milk, powdered sugar and orange peel with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Place cooled baked crust on serving plate; spread with cream cheese mixture to within 1/2 inch of edge. Arrange fruit on cream cheese mixture. Store in refrigerator. 10 servings. Select an array of the season's finest fruit - fresh strawberries, blueberries, peaches and kiwi would add a rainbow of color to this stunning dessert.

Jalapeno Cheeseburgers with Bacon and Grilled Onions

These are not your everyday ordinary hamburgers. They are a spicy treat you won't want to miss this summer.

Spicy Ranch Sauce:

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

6 tablespoons fresh lime juice

4 green onions, finely chopped

2 tablespoons minced seeded jalape--o chili

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

For the burgers:

2 pounds ground beef

1 small onion, chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon chopped seeded jalape--o chili

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

For the Worcestershire-Coffee Glaze:

1/3 cup light corn syrup

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 teaspoon instant coffee crystals

2 teaspoons (packed) golden brown sugar

3 tablespoons butter

16 bacon slices

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

8 hamburger buns or 3- to 4-inch square focaccia rolls, split horizontally

8 lettuce leaves

2 cups coarsely shredded sharp white cheddar cheese

Assorted additional toppings (such as tomato and grilled onion slices)

For spicy ranch sauce:

Whisk all ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Season sauce with salt and pepper.

For burgers:

Gently mix all ingredients in large bowl. Form mixture into eight 1/2- to 3/4-inch-thick patties. Place on small baking sheet. Cover and chill at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

For glaze:

Stir first five ingredients in small saucepan over medium heat until coffee is dissolved. Remove from heat. Whisk in butter. Season glaze to taste with salt and pepper.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Working in batches if necessary, cook bacon in large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp and brown. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain.

Spray grill rack with nonstick spray. Toast buns until golden, about two minutes per side. Transfer buns, cut side up, to plates. Place lettuce on each bun bottom. Grill burgers five minutes, basting with glaze. Turn burgers, baste with glaze, and grill until cooked to desired doneness, about five minutes longer for medium. Press cheese atop each burger and allow cheese to melt. Place some sauce, then 1 burger on each bun bottom. Top each with two slices bacon and desired additional toppings. Cover with bun top. Serve with remaining sauce.

I know the burgers look complicated, but there are a lot of words explaining some very simple steps in preparation. So give them a try.

I am all out of room again for this week. Have a great week and until next time, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at smcclanahan@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701.