The Simplest Muffins

senseicheryl's Note:

This recipe is from an email received from King Arthur Flour. "Add whatever fruit or nuts (or chocolate chips?) you like to this tasty whole-grain muffin." Visit the www.kingarthurflour.com website to view pictures with step-by-step instructions if needed.

• Total Time: 25 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 12

Yield: 12.0 muffins

• 2 cups white whole wheat flour or 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• ½ cup quick-cooking rolled oats
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
• 1 -1 ½ cup dried fruit or 1 -1 ½ cup nuts or 1 -1 ½ cup chips
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
• ¼ cup butter, melted or ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin pan; or line it with papers, greasing the papers.
2. Whisk together the flour, oats, sugar, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and additions of your choice: dried fruit, nuts, and/or chips.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, vanilla, butter or oil and eggs.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and mix until just blended.
5. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan, filling each cup three-quarters full. Sprinkle tops of muffins with coarse sparkling sugar, if desired.
6. Bake the muffins for 15 to 18 minutes, till they're set and a light golden brown.
7. Remove the muffins from the oven, and let rest in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out to cool completely on a rack. Serve warm.