I’ve been lucky to spend the past month traveling and spending lots of quality time with family and friends, many of whom I haven’t seen in years. Living a vagabond life has been fun but one thing I’m missing? My kitchen.

I can’t wait to get back in the kitchen to start cooking (and eating!) healthy food and this article in today’s Washington Post has me inspired: How to make a healthful muffin that doesn’t taste like one.

I’ve eaten a lot of very unhealthy (though very tasty) muffins on this vacation and love the idea of a homemade recipe that is actually good for me. Better yet? One that my two and four year olds will both eat without complaining. If you have a healthy version of a pain au chocolat, send it my way…

From the Washington Post:

12 to 15 servings

For the topping

2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

¹/₃ cup finely chopped pecans

2 tablespoons whole-wheat pastry flour

1 tablespoon canola oil

¹/₂ teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the muffins

2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

¹/₄ teaspoon baking soda

¹/₂ teaspoon salt

¹/₂ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¹/₄ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

³/₄ cup packed light brown sugar

¹/₄ cup canola oil

2 large eggs

³/₄ cup unsweetened plain applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

³/₄ cup low-fat buttermilk

1 medium Golden Delicious apple, cored and cut into ¹/₄-inch chunks

For the topping: Whisk together the brown sugar, pecans, whole-wheat pastry flour, oil and cinnamon in a bowl.

For the muffins: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 12-well muffin pan with cooking oil spray.

Whisk together the whole-wheat pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl.

Whisk together the brown sugar, oil and eggs in a large bowl until well combined, then whisk in the applesauce and vanilla extract. Stir in the flour mixture in two additions, alternating with the buttermilk, until just combined. Gently stir in the apple chunks.

Divide the batter evenly among the wells of the muffin pan, then sprinkle with the topping mixture. (If you have batter left over, cover it and bake a second batch.) Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick or bamboo skewer inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Transfer the muffin pan to a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes, then run a round-edged knife around the muffins to loosen them and unmold. Cool them completely on the rack before serving or storing.

Nutrition | Per serving (based on 15): 190 calories, 3 g protein, 28 g carbohydrates, 7 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 25 mg cholesterol, 200 mg sodium, 2 g dietary fiber, 14 g sugar