Oatmeal muffins

1 c. milk
1 tsp vinegar
1 c. uncooked oatmeal (preferably not quick oats)
1/2 c. butter (softened or melted)
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 c. flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 c. dried cranberries, raisins, or chocolate chips

Combine milk and vinegar. Add oatmeal and allow to soak. In a separate bowl, mix butter and sugar. Beat in egg. Add flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir in oatmeal mixture. Put in greased muffin tin and bake 20-25 minutes at 400F. Makes 12.

Blueberry flax seed muffins

(From http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=673133)

• 1 T flax seeds
• 1 c blueberries
• 1 c quick oats
• 1 c lowfat buttermilk
• 1 c whole wheat flour
• 1 t baking powder
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1/4 t cinnamon
• 1 t salt
• 1 whole egg
• 1/4 c unsweetened applesauce
• 3/4 c brown sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray muffin pans with nonstick spray or line with paper liners. Use a clean coffee grinder to roughly grind the flax seeds, trying not to process them into a mealy texture. (You can use pre-ground flax if that's what you have on hand.) Wash and dry the blueberries. In a small bowl, combine the oats and buttermilk, and let stand at room temperature for five minutes. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; mix with a fork to blend and set aside. In a large bowl and using a hand mixer, beat the egg, applesauce, brown sugar at medium speed for 3 minutes. Blend in the oat-buttermilk mixture. Stir in the flour mixture only to combine, try not to overwork the mixture. Fold in the blueberries. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full and top with a sprinkle of flax seed. Bake 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Number of Servings: 14

Pumpkin Muffins

(From http://www.pioneerthinking.com/pumpkinmuffins.html)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
• 3 each eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 3/4 cups melted butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 1/2 cups pastry flour
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1/2 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/2 tablespoon nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cups raisins

Topping:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup coarsely chopped nuts, such as walnuts, pecans
• 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon

Add all ingredients into large bowl and mix together until well blended. Batter will be lumpy. Spoon into lightly greased muffin pan. Sprinkle generously with topping mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Yields 1.5 dozen.

Comments:
I don't remember if I've made this before. It's not the definitive recipe from home.

Gingerbread Oatmeal Casserole

• 4 eggs
• 1/2 - 3/4 C sugar or brown sugar (according to taste)
• 2 C milk
• 1 C melted butter
• 1/2 C molasses
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1-1/2 tsp ginger
• 6 C oatmeal (old fashioned)

Combine eggs, sugar, milk, butter and molasses, mix well. In a large bowl mix dry ingredients. Add egg mixture and stir well. To bake, pour into a 9 x 13" pan and bake at 350* for 30 minutes.
Serve plain or with milk.

Variations:

~Use maple instead of molasses.

~Use applesauce in place of butter and add chopped apple - no molasses

~Add vanilla or orange extract

~Add dried fruit

Black Molasses Muffins

(From http://www.astray.com/recipes/?show=Black%20muffins)

• 3/4 c. hot water
• 1/2 c. molasses
• 1/4 c. milk
• 2 c. whole wheat flour
• 1 c. white flour
• 2/3 c. sugar
• 2 TBS baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1.5 c. pecans, chopped
  

Preheat oven to 300F. In a medium bowl combine the hot water and molasses, stirring until blended. Stir in the milk and blend. In a separate bowl, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Fold liquid mixture and pecans into dry ingredients just until flour is thoroughly mixed; do not overmix. Spoon into 12 greased muffin cups. Bake about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until done. Remove from cups and serve while hot. Makes 12 muffins.

Comments:
You only need 2 TBS baking powder, and it makes a few more than the recipe says. I didn't use the pecans. Maybe omit/reduce the salt next time. The recipe is from a famous restaurant in New Orleans run by Paul Prudhomme, who is apparently a famous chef.

Apple and Oatmeal Pancakes

(From http://www.cooksrecipes.com/breakfast/apple-and-oatmeal-pancakes-recipe.html)

• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 2/3 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1 large egg, beaten lightly
• 2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
• 2/3 cup grated, peeled apple
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1. In a bowl whisk together 1 cup of the buttermilk and oats. Set aside for about 15 minutes.
2. In a large bowl whisk together the egg, brown sugar and apple. Stir in the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, oil, the oat mixture and the remaining 1/4 cup buttermilk and mixing well.
3. Cook.

Comments:
This is very good. I skipped the final 1/4 c. of milk, and the texture seemed to work better.

Apple and cinnamon oatmeal pancakes

(From http://www.bigoven.com/153085-Apple-And-Cinnamon-Oatmeal-Pancakes-recipe.html)

• 1 1/4 c. buttermilk
• 2/3 c. quick-cooking rolled oats
• 1 large egg, beaten lightly
• 2 TBS firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2/3 c. firmly packed grated, peeled apple, squeezed out
• 6 TBS white flour
• 6 TBS whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 TBS vegetable oil

In a bowl whisk together 1 cup of the buttermilk and the oats and let the mixture stand for 15 minutes. In a large bowl whisk together the egg, the brown sugar, and the apple. Stir in the flours, the baking soda, the salt, the cinnamon, 2 tablespoons of the oil, the oats mixture, and the remaining 1/4 cup buttermilk and combine the batter well. Heat a griddle over moderate heat until it is hot enough to make drops of water scatter over its surface, brush it with the additional oil, and drop the batter by half-filled 1/4-cup measures onto it. Cook.

Comments:
Yummy. I think I used toasted almond oil for the vegetable oil.

Amaretto Almond Pancakes

(Modified from http://www.grouprecipes.com/86843/amaretto-almond-pancakes.html)

1 c. flour

2 TBS sugar
½ tsp baking powder
handful of almonds, chopped

1 c. buttermilk
1 egg
2 TBS butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract

1 TBS amaretto

Mix dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and mix. Fry like pancakes.

Comments:
I used a bit more than 1/4 tsp almond extract. This could stand to have more almonds. Flavor was good. Pancakes were extremely thin, but this is probably a "feature" and not worth trying to change. Next time, melt butter thoroughly and beat egg before adding.