Oats Undetected, Yeay!

This is one muffin that makes the cut as a healthy breakfast muffin.  Quite a loadful of healthy ingredients in there with fruits, nuts, wholemeal flour and rolled oats to help start the day on the right note.  Whenever i try out new recipes with oats, apart from excitement about the taste, i can't wait to know if it slipped by undetected by son ;-)

Although the recipe calls for wholemeal flour and rolled oats, it still turned out soft and moist.  And i am assuming it did slip by undetected because the only complaint my son had was too much nuts on top which he doesn't care much about too.  So, mums if you are also into oats hiding, you could give this recipe a try :)

This muffin also ended up with sweetness that was just nice for us after reducing 25g of sugar from the original recipe.  I think apples would work equally well for this recipe. 

Recipe

Reference: Smitten Kitchen who adapted from Whole Grain Mornings by Megan Gordon

Ingredients

• 2 small medium size pears (1 medium size Korean pear)
• 85 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 125g natural cane sugar, such as Turbinado, light brown or granulated sugar (100g)
• 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk (1 tbsp lemon juice plus milk to make up 240ml left aside for 5 minutes)
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup (75 grams) rolled oats
• 1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (60 grams) whole wheat flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (1/2 tsp mixed spice)
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (1/2 tsp)
• 1 cup (120 grams) toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped (100g pecans)
• 1/2 cup (85 grams) bittersweet chocolate chunks (optional) (80g)

Method

1. Heat oven to 425°F (215°C).  Butter a standard 12-cup muffin tin or line it with papers.
2. Peel and grate pear finely.  Use 1- 1 1/4 cups of it. Stir in melted butter, sugar, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla until combined.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together the oats, flours, baking soda, baking powder, spices, salt, all but 1/2 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts, and chocolate chunks (if using). 
4. Gently fold this dry ingredient mixture into the wet batter until just combined; do not overmix.
5. Fill muffin cups almost up to the top and sprinkle with the reserved 1/2 cup hazelnuts. 
6. Place muffins in oven and immediately reduce the heat to 375°F (190°C). Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of muffins comes out batter-free.
7. Cool muffins in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.