2010 January 21 | dinner with Julie

Archive for January 21st, 2010

Sue’s Oatmeal Muffins

As I may have mentioned, since Christmas we have become the before and after school caregivers of an almost 7 year old bottomless pit. Not that I’m complaining.

But I have been short of extra minutes this week, and so baked a batch of insurance against hearing “I’M STILL HUNGRY” every five minutes between 7:30 and 8:30 and from 3:30 till 6.

Today I spent the afternoon in meetings regarding Blog Aid, and although I wish I could share the exciting details, I think I need to hammer them all out first. But it’s been a week, and besides the design, copy and photos, it looks like we have almost all the logistics worked out too. And yet somehow my to-do list for tomorrow is even longer than it was today. (Aren’t they meant to get shorter?)

And now I’m sitting here blankly staring at my computer with no idea what to type. So since I have a story on preserved lemons due tomorrow, I’ll leave you with a recipe for decent oatmeal muffins you can add any number of things to (Sue uses partially dehydrated cherries from the Okanagan, which I cannot recommend strongly enough if you come across some) – I’ve gone the fruit route, and raisins are good in a pinch, but chocolate chips turn out a muffin that tastes like a cakey oatmeal-chocolate chip cookie. Warm from the oven, they’ll pick you up and carry you through that late afternoon lull. I’m rediscovering the after-school snack.

Sue’s Oatmeal Muffins

Try using flax oil in place of grapeseed or canola to boost omega 3s.

1 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted and cooled
2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil
fine zest of 1 lemon
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup fresh or dried berries or chopped fruit

In a large bowl, combine oats, buttermilk and milk and let stand 1 hour. Preheat oven to 400 F and line twelve 1/2-cup muffin tins.

Add the egg, egg white, sugar, butter and zest to oat mixture, stirring until just combined.

Into another large bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda and add to oat mixture, stirring until just combined. Fold in fruit.

Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin tins. Bake in middle of oven until golden and a tester comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.