Virtual Cookbook: Best of the blogs ... apple nut oatmeal muffins

Food blogger Sydney Kramer from www.CrepesofWrath.net made these delicious apple nut oatmeal muffins. She adapted the recipe from a cake recipe at www.SlowLikeHoney.net

I was tired of oatmeal or toast or cereal for breakfast. Eggs are wonderful, but who really has time to make eggs before work on a weekday?

This week, I decided to hunt for muffin recipes, thinking that I could stockpile muffins in the freezer and pop one in the microwave to thaw for breakfast. It took awhile to find a good recipe, because I didn’t want a muffin boarding on cupcake (like the decadent pumpkin-cream cheese muffins I made in November). The healthier options all looked rather unappetizing in photos.

Finally, I settled on this recipe for apple nut oatmeal muffins from Sydney Kramer’s blog www.CrepesofWrath.net. She adapted the muffin recipe from a cake recipe on another blog,

www.SlowLikeHoney.net.

I liked that these muffins had applesauce and fresh grated apple in them. Instead of using butter, I substituted Smart Balance spread. Kramer used 1-percent milk, but I used skim. They came out savory and delicious — and quite filling, because of the nuts.

I’m sure they’re not low-fat, but they’re delicious and not so sweet that they should be dessert. A perfect breakfast.

APPLE NUT OATMEAL MUFFINS

Ingredients

½ cup milk

½ cup applesauce

1 large egg

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

½ teaspoon almond extract

1 stick butter, melted and cooled

1¾ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder (yes, it’s a tablespoon)

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ cup packed light or dark brown sugar

¾ cup old-fashioned oats (whole oats, not instant)

1 apple, peeled and grated with a box grater or chopped (Kramer sugggests using grated apples because she says it adds more apple flavor throughout the entire muffin. To do it, peel the apple and grate it using a medium-size box grater. Strain the juice from the grated apples before using — and drink it if you want.)

½ cup chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds

½ cup raisins or other dried fruit

Preparation

* Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Line and/or grease a muffin pan. Combine the milk, applesauce, egg, vanilla and almond extracts and butter in small bowl.

* In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, cinnamon and salt to combine thoroughly. Mix in the brown sugar until it’s as smooth as you can get it, then add the oats and mix again until everything is evenly combined.

* Gently beat in the liquid ingredients, stirring until everything is moistened (don’t overmix). Gently stir in the apple, nuts and raisins, then scrape the batter into the prepared muffin pan, each cup 2/3 full.

* Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes or so, then remove from the pan and allow to finish cooling (or serve warm with some butter or peanut butter).

* Makes about 18 muffins, depending on the size of the cups.

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