Tuesday, December 18, 2007

I Bet They'll Like These Oatmeal Muffins!


Every time I sit down with a bowl of oatmeal in the morning, I can't help but wonder how on Earth people can manage to hate something so delicious. There's so much to love about oatmeal- it's warm, comforting, versatile (I have about a billion and one variations), filling and let's not forget, healthy. Oats are known to lower your cholesterol, therefore reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Oats also reduce the risk of cancer and even improve mood. I've tried getting Kirstie to become a fan of oatmeal, but unfortunately, she has trouble getting through even the tiniest of bowls. Hans is worse. The poor man has a hard time sitting across the table from me when I'm eating my 'slop'.
Clever as I am, I came up with a delicious muffin recipe to trick those two into eating at least a little oatmeal, and while I was at it, I saw nothing against adding a bit of flaxseed as well, which like oats, also has many health benefits. To make things even sweeter without having to add a lot of sugar, I decided to use some sugar- free, thin- cut marmalade which had been lurking about in the fridge. This addition also meant that I could use less oil. But you know, who am I kidding! I made these muffins because I knew they'd be darn good!

Here's the recipe:
Oatmeal Muffins They'll Love!
Ingredients:

*200g whole wheat flour

*50g white flour

*2 tsps baking powder

*1/2 tsp baking soda

*150g oatmeal

*60g flaxseed

*1 egg

*50ml sunflower oil

*150g thin- cut marmalade

*200ml buttermilk

*80g unrefined cane sugar


Preheat oven to 200C. Line muffin tin with liners. Sift flours, baking powder and soda into a bowl. Add the oatmeal and flaxseed and stir to combine. In a jug, whisk the egg, oil, marmalade, buttermilk and sugar. Add this to the dry ingredients and fold in gently until combined. Spoon into muffin pan and bake for 20 minutes or until tester comes out clean.

5 comments:

Mara said...

Mmmm, oatmeals and marmelade, two favourites of mine in one! Will have to try these :)

Sandy said...

I adore oatmeal in muffins (and cookies). I'm trying to be a fan of oatmeal in the morning....I will try harder and take your recommendation to add some flaxseed also.

Oatmeal, or porridge as he calls it, is my son's absolute favorite. He requests it for a snack which thrills me. But my little one does not like it at all. Different tastes, I guess.

Patricia Scarpin said...

Paola, these would make my rainy afternoon so much better! :)

Petra said...

Oatmeal is really delicious, especially warmed with some milk and syrop or raisins. But I remember to dislike any kind of mush ('pap' in t nederlands), so it's not weird your family dislikes it, though I don't know why people do...

Deborah Dowd said...

I guess I am one of those people- while I like steel-cut Irish oats for their nutty taste, Ameican-style oatmeal tasted like wallpaper paste to me. However, oatmeal in recipes adds a lit of fiber and texture, so I will have to give your muffins a try!