Raspberry Walnut Muffins. Booyah.

I had yesterday off of work.  That's enough to make anyone sing and jump with joy!  I didn't want to waste it - so I knew from the moment I woke up I would have to be productive.

I said to myself, "Self. Man-up. Get stuff done. Check things off your list. Do it! DO IT!" For the record, I got two things on my list done.  There were 4,000 items listed...so not too bad.  Not bad at all.

One of the more wonderful things on my list to accomplish was to make raspberry walnut muffins.  Why?  Simply because I wanted to.  Is that reason enough?  I think so.  They are just slightly sweet and wonderfully nutty.  An absolute delight all the way around.  I love them so much that I have already eaten 25 35% of the batch.

I have made this Better Homes and Gardens recipe a few times, but I do make a few slight changes to it.  Because (I know, you know this by now) I am wild like that.  So here we go!

Raspberry-Walnut Muffins
You will need:
 - 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour, or whole wheat flour (I used freshly ground flour from my mill - YUM!)
 - 1/4 quick cooking oats
 - 2 tsp. baking powder
 - 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
 - 1/4 tsp. salt
 - 1 egg
 - 3/4 cup milk
 - 1/2 cup sugar
 - 3 tablespoons olive oil, or coconut oil (melted)
 - 1/3 cup raspberries (or berry of your choice)
 - 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Step One:  Mix the flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together in a large mixing bowl.

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Step Two:  Mix the egg, milk, sugar, and olive oil/coconut oil together in a mixing bowl.

Step Three:  Mix the liquid ingredients in with the dry ingredients.  Fold in gently until just combined.

Step Four:  Gently fold in the walnuts and raspberries.  I used raspberries that I picked and froze this past summer.  I even put them into the batter frozen and it worked fine!  So feel free to pick up some frozen berries of your choice, as fresh berries won't be in season for awhile!  Also, walnuts would be divine if they were toasted a little bit before putting them in.  Stuart isn't crazy about toasted nuts, so I just left ours plain.  I'm, like, such a good wife.

Step Five:  Grease up a muffin pan with butter, coconut oil, or olive oil and gently fill each muffin compartment with a spoon full over the batter.

Step Six:  Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.  Allow the muffins to cool for five minutes in the tray before removing them.

Step Seven:  Eat.  Be merry.

I prefer to eat my muffins like this:

Sliced and smeared with butter.   It's a treat.  A really appreciated pick-me-up after completing another item on my to-do list; which as it turns out, was not fun at all.  Who knew that reorganizing your kitchen cupboards and cleaning all the mouse poo out of them would be such a drag?  And here I was, foolishly, expecting it to be so much fun! 

It's days like this I am glad the mouse is gone.  Dead.  Exterminated.  Because if he were here, he would probably get into these deliciously scrumptious muffins and have his way with them!  And I just couldn't allow that.  The ungrateful, dirty, thief.

In order to celebrate my great accomplishment, and my clean cupboards, I think I shall now eat another muffin with me tea.

Ahh....there we go.  It's even in my favorite bovine mug.  All is well in my world.

Make these.  It will add a little sweetened sunshine to your day.  And if your day is filled with anything resembling mouse poo, you may just need that sunshine. 

Raspberry-Walnut Muffins

• 1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour, or whole wheat flour
• ¼ cup quick cooking oats
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 egg
• ¾ cup milk
• ½ cup sugar
• 3 tbsp olive oil, or coconut oil (melted)
• ⅓ cup raspberries (or berry of your choice)
• ¼ cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

   Mix the flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together in a large mixing bowl.

2. Mix the egg, milk, sugar, and olive oil/coconut oil together in a mixing bowl.

3. Mix the liquid ingredients in with the dry ingredients.  Fold in gently until just combined.

4. Gently fold in the walnuts and raspberries.  I used raspberries that I picked and froze this past summer.  I even put them into the batter frozen and it worked fine!  So feel free to pick up some frozen berries of your choice, as fresh berries won't be in season for awhile!  Also, walnuts would be divine if they were toasted a little bit before putting them in.  Stuart isn't crazy about toasted nuts, so I just left ours plain.  I'm, like, such a good wife.

5. Grease up a muffin pan with butter, coconut oil, or olive oil and gently fill each muffin compartment with a spoon full over the batter.

6. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.  Allow the muffins to cool for five minutes in the tray before removing them.

7. Eat.  Be merry.