Oaty Muffins

We ate these before I got a picture. I'd say sorry, but that's just how good these are.
These use oat flour, which in this case is just my quick oats blended to a powder. You could use fancier oats (rolled, old fashioned, etc.), but the quick oats are best for making these muffins especially moist.
The difference between types of oats in baking is the resulting texture and moisture. Quick oats make things softer by absorbing wet ingredients better, and rolled oats give you a more grainy, flavorful result. So choose based on whether you want flavor or moisture, but these muffins are amazing because of the moisture. 

Oaty Muffins
printable version

1 cup flour
3/4 cup oat flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup cooking oil (can sub with butter, but the oil is another part of the moisture in these muffins)

1. Preheat oven to 400*F. Grease muffin cups or line with paper cups; set aside. I found that this recipe makes 11 muffins. I'm okay with that odd number. 
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, oat flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.
3. In another bowl, combine egg, milk and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir just until moistened. Batter may be smoother than typical muffins. 
4. Spoon batter (I'd say around 2 oz. per cup), filling each about 2/3 full. 
5. Topping- In a small bowl stir together 3 TBS packed brown sugar, 3 TBS oat flour and 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon. Cut in 2 TBS butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Spoon over muffins. 
6. Bake 18 to 20 minutes. 

Cornbread

I have always loved cornbread. That's all.

HAH! It would be all, but I have to say--because I'm quite proud actually--that now Michael loves cornbread, too. He raved over it the last time I baked it. :) Aw, it made my little chef heart blossom with pleasure.

Cornbread

printable version

1 cup flour

3/4 cup cornmeal

2 to 3 TBS sugar (I had used 3 the night Michael was so enamored with it--it just makes it a tad sweeter)

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1 TBS butter

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup milk

1/4 cup cooking oil or melted butter (I generally use oil)

Preheat oven to 400*. In a medium bowl stir together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

Add the 1 TBS butter to a 9x1 1/2-inch round baking pan (all my life my mom used a 9x13 casserole dish for cornbread; it's handy for feeding a crowd, but I like the cakelike result of using a round pan). Place in oven about 3 minutes or until butter melts. Remove pan from oven; swirl butter in pan to coat bottom and sides of pan.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine eggs, milk and oil. Add mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened. Pour batter into hot pan.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean (that same night that Michael fell in love with this cornbread, I actually baked it 20-25 minutes till it was golden and crusty on the edges). Cut into wedges and serve warm.

We love buttering ours and drizzling honey over it. Mmmmm.

Variation:

Corn Muffins - Prepare as above, except omit the TBS butter. Spoon batter into 12 greased 2 1/2-inch muffin cups, filling cups two-thirds full. Bake in a 400* oven about 15 minutes or until light brown (and pass toothpick test).

10 Grain Muffins

This is maybe really silly of me to post this recipe...because it comes on the package of 10 Grain cereal.

But I have to! What if you get a generic brand of 10 grain? Or what if...I don't know, what if you've never heard of it before?

Because basically, these were so very satisfying and tasty and perfect that I just have to share!

These muffins are almost the consistency of cornbread, and they're also packed with a really intensely nutritious flavor! Really, with these, nutrition DOES have a flavor. ("Yum, I'm getting healthy!")

10 Grain Muffins

printable version

1 large egg

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter

1 cup white flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 cup 10 Grain Cereal

1 1/4 cup sour milk -or- buttermilk (I used sour*)

Mix 10 Grain Cereal and milk; allow to stand for 10 minutes while preheating oven (400) and assembling other ingredients. Cream sugar, butter and egg together.

Add dry ingredients and milk mixture. Stir only until mixed.

Spoon into greased muffin pan.

Bake at 400 for 15 minutes.

*TIP: if you don't have any sour milk, pour about 1 TBS lemon juice into your empty measuring cup and then fill with milk. Let it sit a couple minutes, stirring gently if necessary.

Milk is actually still okay to drink a week after the date on the jug, it just can't be sold that late. And this may be myth, but I think milks with more fat content go sour a little faster than skim milk.

PS: this is something my mom has always done: when the muffins come out of the oven, I use a knife (or tongs or whatever, who really cares) and turn the muffins sideways. This helps them cool a little faster and keeps them from over-baking in their still-hot pan. That's why the muffins are sideways in the picture. :)