Cherry Pistachio Oatmeal Muffins

I love muffins. There are certain things that can be brought into my office that I can ignore, but I rarely pass up a muffin, even though I know it can be basically like eating cake for breakfast. Honestly I don't care :-) There's something about the burst of fruit (I love blueberry!) and a sugary muffin top that is so worth it. Anyone with me?

When I make muffins at home, I can never seem to replicate the flavor and texture that coffee shops (i.e. Starbucks, Panera, local bakeries) seem to achieve. So I usually don't even try, and tend to bake muffins on the healthier side (like pumpkin muffins, as seen here). I wanted to put a mini muffin tin to use, so I started surfing the web until I found a recipe where I had everything on hand. I ended up adapting this method and throwing in some dried cherries and pistachios that I had in my pantry. They turned out really good! You soak the oats in a cup of milk for an hour before you make the muffins, and I think that is the secret to achieving the dense texture. There's also not a lot of added sugar in these, so you don't get the sugar crash that bakery muffins often provide.  Try these for a healthier spin on a breakfast treat.


Cherry Pistachio Oatmeal Muffins
Makes 24 mini muffins


Ingredients:
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup shelled pistachios
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 cup rolled oats
1 egg
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon


Directions:
Combine the milk, vinegar, and oats and let sit for an hour.


Preheat the oven to 375.  Add egg and brown sugar to the oat mixture and stir to combine.  Mix in the butter.


Add the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and cinnamon.  Fold in and do not overmix.  Add the cherries and pistachios and combine.


Scoop spoonfuls of batter into mini muffin tin (or regular muffin tin for a dozen) and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown on top.  Let muffins cool and enjoy.