Recipe: Loaded Cranberry-Oatmeal Muffins

A few days ago, I made one of my baking staples, Apple-Cinnamon Oat Bran Muffins.  Only to discover I had no oat bran, no eggs (I've been veering to vegan of late, so eggs don't often make it into the house these days), and lots of dried (unsweetened!) cranberries from Fairland Farm I bought at the Pawtucket Winter Market on a recent trip to Rhode Island.

I altered my original recipe and the results are a new favorite that uses a "flax egg," increases the oats and nuts, and makes for a healthy, crunchy, delightful breakfast or snack. 

Loaded Cranberry-Oatmeal Muffins

1/2 C. wheat flour 

1 C. oats

1 C. ground/chopped nuts (I used a blend of pecans and walnuts, chopped by hand)

1 T ground flaxseed for flax egg, and 3 T ground flaxseed for dough

1 tsp baking soda

1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon (I double or triple the amount!)

3 T walnut oil 

1/3 C applesauce (I use homemade)

1/4 C maple syrup

1 whole apple, grated (or pear)

Unsweetened dried cranberries (a 1/2 cup?  a cup?  whatever you prefer!)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease muffin tins.

2. In small bowl, whisk 1 T flaxseed and 3 T water.  Let sit to form a "flax egg."

3.  In large bowl, mix together oats, flour, flax, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and nuts.

4. To flax/water mixture, add: oil, applesauce and maple syrup.  Add grated apple.  Don't forget to add the juice of grated apple.

5. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients.  Spoon batter into muffin tins.  Bake for 22-25 minutes or until tops spring back when touched and are brown, and center is cooked.  I usually check them at 20 minutes and bake for an additional 10 minutes.  Place tins on wire rack to cool. 

6.  Remove from tins after 5 minutes or so, and cool on plate.    Keep refrigerated until ready to enjoy!