Muesli Muffins

More like a scone than a muffin

An impulse purchase at Target led to making muffins with muesli.  I saw Bob's Red Mill Muesli clearanced ---I wondered why, checked the expiration date which was still a year in the future ---and thought---hmmm ---it might be fun to try.  

Muesli is often on the breakfast bar when we have traveled internationally, but I had never purchased it before.  Muesli is a loose uncooked mixture of grains, fruit, nuts and seeds, and granola is the crunchy baked version (also more fattening).  Muesli is a Swiss doctor's invention circa 1900.  

Well, I learned it is very, very raw, like munching on raw oatmeal with untoasted seeds.  

Soaking it in milk or yoghurt helped a little but it's not my idea of a comforting breakfast, no matter how healthy it is for you.   

What do I do with the rest of the bag?  

It makes outstanding muffins!--- more like scones --- not like cupcakes --- and these muffins are delicious served warm with a little Irish butter or strawberry jam.

I used the basic sour cream King Arthur All-Star Muffin recipe and swapped out a cup of flour for the muesli.  

I also soaked the muesli in the sour cream for a little while before adding the mixture to the batter, to ensure that the grains would become incorporated.

They freeze well, too.  

---Barbara

Muesli Muffins

(adapted from King Arthur Baker's Companion)

Makes 16 - 18 muffins

3 eggs, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sour cream

1 cup muesli

2 t. vanilla 

1/4 cup pineapple juice (or other fruit juice)

3 cups all purpose flour

2 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

Bring eggs to room temperature, and let butter soften.  

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Prep muffin pans with baking spray.

In a small bowl, combine sour cream and muesli and let sit.  

Combine dry ingredients:  flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt

Beat together the sugar and butter on high with a whisk attachment until almost white.

Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides after each addition.

Add 2 t. vanilla.

Add sour cream muesli mixture.

Add 1/4 cup pineapple juice or other fruit juice.

Mix together briefly.  

Proceed using only a spatula, not the mixer, to fold the dry ingredients into the wet, just until combined.  Do not overmix or the muffins will be tough.  

Scoop into prepared muffin tins.  Fill to the top, but not overflowing.  You will need two muffins pans -- 12 in one pan, and the remaining 6 in another pan.  

If you only have one muffin pan, bake in 2 batches, cooling the pan before refilling.  

Bake for 18 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.  Do not overbake.

Cool in the pan for 5 minutes then remove to a rack to finishing cooling.  

Or serve immediately with Irish butter, or strawberry jam.  

Freeze by placing them on a tray in a single layer in the freezer for an hour, then pop them into a freezer storage bag.   

B