Oatmeal Muffins

I've been looking at various ways to get Dr. Sweetpea to eat more oatmeal. Lately, I've been making overnight oats for him (a huge hit in our household but that's for another post) and then I came across this Oatmeal Muffin recipe. I'll admit we were both pleasantly surprised because we were expecting it to be really dense since there is so much oatmeal in the muffins. In reality, the muffins were super moist and fluffy. These are the best Oatmeal Meal muffins we've ever had and definitely will remain in our regular repertoire to make over and over again.

Oatmeal Muffins

(Source: Cooks Illustrated) 

TOPPING

1/2 cup (1 1/2 ounces) old-fashioned rolled oats

1/3 cup (1 2/3 ounces) all-purpose flour

1/3 cup pecans, chopped fine

1/3 cup packed (2 1/3 ounces) light brown sugar

1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

MUFFINS

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 6 tablespoons melted

2 cups (6 ounces) old-fashioned rolled oats

1 3/4 cups (8 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/3 cups packed (9 1/3 ounces) light brown sugar

1 3/4 cups milk

2 large eggs, beaten

FOR THE TOPPING: Combine oats, flour, pecans, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in medium bowl. Drizzle melted butter over mixture and stir to ­thoroughly combine; set aside.

FOR THE MUFFINS: Grease and flour 12-cup muffin tin. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add oats and cook, stirring frequently, until oats turn golden brown and smell of cooking popcorn, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer oats to food processor and process into fine meal, about 30 seconds. Add flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda to oats and pulse until combined, about 3 pulses.

Stir 6 tablespoons melted butter and sugar together in large bowl until smooth. Add milk and eggs and whisk until smooth. Using whisk, gently fold half of oat mixture into wet ingredients, tapping whisk against side of bowl to release clumps. Add remaining oat mixture and continue to fold with whisk until no streaks of flour remain. Set aside batter for 20 minutes to thicken. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees.

Using ice cream scoop or large spoon, divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups (about ½ cup batter per cup; cups will be filled to rim). Evenly sprinkle topping over muffins (about 2 tablespoons per muffin). Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 18 to 25 minutes, rotating muffin tin halfway through baking.

Let muffins cool in muffin tin on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove muffins from muffin tin and serve or let cool completely before serving.