Crumb-Topped Mango Muffins

It’s raining today in Portland. I shouldn’t complain, it’s not SNOWING after all, but this morning I woke thinking of my best friend from high school. She lives halfway around the world now, in Hawaii. Although she’s still sleeping and the sun’s just coming up, I’m certain today will be as beautiful there as all the rest. I’ve never been able to visit her home, couldn’t even attend her wedding. But thankfully I can use my imagination. I picture my friend and I sitting on a sunny patio, drinking coffee, laughing and eating these muffins. Like the beautiful islands of Hawaii, these are warm and tropical. The soft vanilla-lemon crumb is dotted with juicy chunks of mango and the tops explode out of the tin with the sweet crunch of macadamia nut crumb. Not quite volcanic, but enough to remind me that paradise is just a state of mind. Happy weekend everyone.

Yields 6 jumbo muffins.

SODIUM CONTENT: 32 mg per muffin

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup finely chopped unsalted macadamia nuts
1 1/2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup white whole-wheat flour
1 tablespoon sodium-free baking powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg white
1 cup low-fat milk
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 medium mago, peeled, pitted, and finely diced

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 6-cup jumbo muffin tin lightly with nonstick cooking spray or line with paper liners.

Combine brown sugar, nuts, 1 1/2 tablespoons flour, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut the butter in with your fingertips, processing until it has the consistency of wet sand. Set aside.

Place the remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, and sugar in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add egg white, milk, oil, vanilla, and lemon zest and stir just until moist. Gently fold in mango.