Maple Walnut Muffins

I had every intention of taking a step back from fall things and making banana muffins. The bananas, however, had other plans. I really thought I could just freeze the bananas and then thaw them and they'd be okay. Falsehoods. They got really syrupy and rotten and gross. Plan B: maple walnut muffins. Much more seasonally appropriate and not squishy.

People wonder why I bake all the time or how I find the time and honestly, it's hard sometimes to carve out time so I'm not rushing through a recipe. But I find baking very cathartic. I can just listen to music and mix together ingredients, making a creamy batter that will become a delicious muffin or donuts or cake. And then I get to relax and listen to music while everything's in the oven, it's like 'me time'. Not that I really need to carve out me time, my life is basically my time at this point.

 

 These muffins were a little more intensive because they have a topping. I opted out of the suggested icing though. I know that muffins are really just cupcakes that are acceptable for breakfast but the topping seemed sufficient. I do have a pretty difficult time making the topping crumbly enough but if you too have this struggle, just make sure you have a chunk of butter in there and it will melt and cook up just right.

 

I typically try to position my baked goods with some healthy twist like telling my coworkers that there's Greek yogurt in there or not that much butter etc. I pretend that will make people eat them up faster. Recently, one of them pointed out that they would eat them regardless of how healthy I try to make them sound. But these muffins have oats! And they have Greek yogurt! And really the only butter is in the topping! Look at all the healthy things! Eat the muffins...

 

Recipe

Muffins

• 1 3/4 cup of flour
• 1 cup rolled oats, run through a food processor
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup of milk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 Tablespoon maple syrup (or extract, if you have it)
• 1 cup walnut pieces

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a muffin tin with liners (or spray with non-stick).
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flours, processed oats, baking powder and cinnamon.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, milk, oil, yogurt and maple syrup.
4. Stir in the dry ingredients in with the eggs mixture.
5. Fold in the walnuts.
6. Fill each muffin liner 3/4 full and top with the topping. 
7. Bake for 30 minutes or until cooked through.

Topping

• 2 Tablespoons cold butter
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons flour
• 2 Tablespoons rolled oats

1. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, flour and oats.
2. Cut in the cold butter with a knife or pastry cutter.
3. Sprinkle on top of muffin batter in the pan.