Guest Blogger: Tanu Anand
I am not much of a sweets person. In fact most of my experiments in the kitchen are savouries and condiments. But when I come across those moments when the husband goes “I want something sweet” *whine tone*, I don’t want to buy something awfully sugar-laden and high on calories for the boy. (I am a fitness-Hitler at home) And then a cake is too big a treat and cookies are too tiny a treat, that is when Muffins come in to the picture. Muffins are the kind of dish that can be slotted in the “a-lil-bit-of-this-and-that”category of cooking. Easy to make and they come with so many varieties.
I went to the market the other day and found a seller by the streets giving away 2 baskets of extremely large gorgeous juicy strawberries for only £1 and I could totally feel this magnetic pull asking me to buy them ASAP.
Armed with delicious strawberries, I walked in to my kitchen to whip up a batch of Strawberry oats muffin. Oats – because they add a healthy dose in to a sugary treat. And Brown Sugar – because that is definitely healthier than the refined white sugar. I also mixed the flour, adding whole-wheat flour to the recipe, just to make it healthier (again!)
So here you go, a batch of Muffins that you can devour guilt-free!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup strawberries, chopped
- ½ cup rolled oats
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp cinnamon powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Steps
- Preheat oven to 200 deg C (400 deg F)
- Line a standard, 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease it with oil
- Toss together strawberries and brown sugar; lightly mash the berries with a potato masher and set aside
- Mix oats with the buttermilk and set aside
- In a large bowl, combine flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; set aside
- In a medium bowl, beat together the egg, oil and vanilla
- Blend in the oats mix in the above bowl
- Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in the egg, oil, brown sugar, vanilla and oats mix; add the berry mixture (with juice)
- Fold it all in to combine
- Using a large spoon, divide the batter among the muffin cups; sprinkle the tops with remaining sugar
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean
- Cool 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer muffins to a wire rack to cool completely