Christine J. (steen) reviewed Great Idea! on 6/13/2009 + 15 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

I haven't tried very many of the recipes in this little book, mostly because I opened the book and made the first recipe "Plain Jaynes". The muffins were so astoundingly good, I couldn't move on to new recipes (if it isn't broke, etc.). the The book works on the concept of using low fat ricotta cheese as an oil substitute. It totally works. The flavor is subtle, but Amazingly Delicious. The Plain Jaynes recipe uses 1/3 cup of ricotta and 3 Tablespoons of oil. That makes a LOT of muffins, I think about 16 to 18 (going on memory here), depending on size. I bake muffins in Pyrex custard cups as my husbnad like mammoth sized muffins. Plain Jaynes are a sweet and simple return to muffins of a bygone era, where muffins were slightly crispy, slightly chewy, not a bundt cake in disguise. Plain Jaynes rely on a good dose of vanilla extract. The muffins are plain, but deliciously so. Add a dollop of jam and your stomach will be happy. They travel well, so you can count on getting your co-workers hooked on fresh muffins if you decide to share. With the last batch I made (3 days ago), I stirred in a half pint of fresh raspberries just before spooning into muffins cups. Heaven. Would also make a killer blueberry muffin. Also, the recipes would work well with sugar substitutions, I think. I made them once and forgot to put in the sugar (hey, it was 6:30am after all). They still browned and puffed up nicely. I sprinkled the cut halves with sugar and they were still great. I plan on making them with Splenda next time.

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