mixin’ it up muffins

I love muffins.

No, that is an understatement. I LURVE muffins!

Muffins and cookies share a common characteristic that I hold dear, which is why they are both such popular items in our house. They are like a blank canvas, begging to be tinkered with. So tasty and so versatile, these treats have a flexibility in the kitchen that is irresistible. A little of this, a little of that. Ooh, I feel like this kind of spice today or this kind of nut/fruit/flavor/fill-in-the-blank. Muffins can make those flavor daydreams a reality.

The other day I was getting ready to make muffins when I remembered a lone lemon in our fridge. “Oh, that would taste great with oats,” I thought. When I went into the pantry to fetch the oats, I found some cranberries on top of the oats container. Cranberries and lemon, that’s a winning flavor combo! For good measure, I decided to throw in some nuts, mostly because I can’t stop myself from filling baked good with what Jim lovingly calls “debris”.

Lemon Oat Muffins with Cranberries and Walnuts

1 3/4 cups white wheat flour (all-purpose is fine, too)
3/4 cup traditional oats, coarsely ground
3/4 cup sugar
1 teas. baking powder
1 teas. baking soda
1/8 teas. salt
1/2 cup applesauce
1/3 cup oil
1 1/4 cups milk (soy, almond, rice, etc)
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/2 teas. vanilla
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup walnuts
coarse sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 400. Line muffin tin with liners or grease each cup.

In a large bowl combine the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the applesauce and oil. Add the milk, lemon juice and zest and the vanilla and mix well. Let sit for a few minutes. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until just combined. Fold in cranberries and walnuts. Spoon evenly into muffin cups until cups are just full. Sprinkle tops with coarse sugar, if using.

Bake regular-sized muffins for 18-22 minutes and jumbo for 25-28 or until a toothpick comes out clean.