Shelve the Shortcake, Make Strawberry Oatmeal Muffins This Fall

December 3, 2009 6:41 pm

Shelve the Shortcake, Make Strawberry Oatmeal Muffins This Fall

Always the budget-conscious shopper, I am prone to epic bouts of melancholy when a recipe I'm dying to make contains ingredients that are much too much when they're out of season. This mostly applies to produce, like kumquats, figs, and ramps, but, as a Southerner, I've also added soft-shell crab to my list. But oh, sweet stars aligned, when a craving and a bargain collide, it's bliss.

So what was I to do when I discovered that ripe, red strawberries were 99 cents a pound last week at my local market? Strawberries seem inseparable from summer, and I'll happily admit: I'm a glutton for the comfort foods of fall. It doesn't take much to get me in the mood—as soon as I see school supplies on sale, I get hungry for baked squash, apple pie, and beef stew. Strawberry shortcake seemed a little too 4th of July, and with a chill in the air, making ice cream was out the question. Luckily, I happened upon a recipe for Strawberry Oatmeal Muffins. These are not your average cake-for-breakfast kind of muffins. They're chewy, wholesome and with just the right touch of sweetness. I felt right at home in my slipper socks and fuzzy sweater enjoying them before heading out to the pumpkin patch, not to mention they made my kitchen smell amazing. Fresh or frozen strawberries work fine, and for best results use old-fashioned oatmeal instead of the quick-cooking kind.

Oatmeal Strawberry Muffins
(adapted from Very Berry Muffins, allrecipes.com)
Yield: 12-14 small muffins; 6-8 large muffins
1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tbsp. of baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1 1/4 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 - 2 cups strawberries, chopped
Cinnamon sugar (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line muffin tin with paper liners or grease well with butter or olive oil.

2. In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add the milk, beaten egg, olive oil, and vanilla and stir until combined. Add the strawberries. Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar if you like.

3. Bake muffins for about 15-20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a tester comes out clean.