Mmmmm...Muffins!

On Monday mornings, I like to get up and make fresh muffins before I pack Cassidy's lunch.  It's nice to start the week with a fresh, warm breakfast for the kids, especially when we all still want to stay in bed a little later, like we did over the weekend.  Also, they are easy to grab and take in the car for Mark and I, so we don't end up buying a $5 muffin at some coffee shop during our morning errands!  If they are cool enough, Cassidy loves them packed in her school lunch, and all 4 oft he kids like to have the leftovers for a snack after school, so with 6 of us, a batch of 12 muffins is perfect!  Somehow, I've gotten out of the habit recently, including this week.  But I needed to bake bread for the week on Monday afternoon, and I found myself really wishing that I had a muffin to snack on while I was waiting for the dough to rise. I promised myself that I would get back into the swing of things, so this morning I baked up a batch.

Among the recipes that I use frequently for muffins, the kids have 3 favorites. In no particular order, they are: oatmeal-chocolate chip, cinnamon french puff and classic blueberry (or really, any berry that we have in the fridge that needs to be consumed).  Today, we didn't have an berries left to use up, and I didn't drag myself out of bed early enough to make french puff muffins.  They only take about 15 extra minutes, but I was already cutting it pretty close, so oatmeal-chocolate chip won this round.  Mmmmm...don't they look good?

Sometimes, I find oatmeal bread or muffins to be a little on the dry side.  Trial and error with  ingredients usually in my pantry eventually created this recipe.  For those of you with food allergies, like my daughter, this recipe is free of dairy, eggs and nuts (provided you use allergen free chocolate chips).  If food allergies are not a problem in your house, you can make them just the same, using regular milk and whatever chocolate chips you usually use.  There is a slight crispness to the outside from the brown sugar in the batter, and the inside is moist enough that no butter is needed, which is a bonus if you are grabbing one on the go.  You would never know that they are allergen free!

What you need:
(makes 12 muffins)

1 cup of flour
1 cup of oats (old fashioned or quick cooking, either will be fine)
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup chocolate chips (allergen free, if you need them, or whatever you usually use)
3/4 cup soy milk (or dairy milk, if that works for you)
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla

Spray a 12 cup muffin pan with non stick spray.  I like Pam baking spray, it is allergen free for us, and has never failed me. Muffin or cupcake papers are ok, but if you use them, be aware of the fact that the delicious crisped crust will only be on top.  With baking spray, it will be on the sides and bottom too...yum!

Combine the flour, oats, both sugars, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and chocolate chips in a bowl with a whisk until well blended.

Add the milk, vegetable oil and vanilla and stir until just blended.  Just use a wooden spoon, and don't over mix!

Divide evenly into the prepared muffin pan.  For me, a 1/4 cup measuring cup is the perfect scoop for this particular recipe.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Let them cool for 10 or 15 minutes before removing from the pan, then dig in!

Let me know what you think.  These are definitely a family favorite for us, and one of my own staple allergy friendly recipes.