Social Kitchen

Food guilt.  It’s really setting in.  I know that it usually comes immediately after the holiday season, during the dreaded month of January.  It’s cold, holiday lights are being packed away, and you are left with the realization that you ate about 4 dozen more cookies than you intended to.

But for me, this year, my food guilt has come early.  Can we think about the summer for just a second?  Ice creams, and pies disguised as breakfast.  Cakes and…more cakes.  The time has come for my back to school slimdown.

So although I would normally never oppose to having a cupcake for breakfast, as muffins sometimes tend to be, I decided to make this a bit more wholesome.  Oats, whole wheat flour, and maybe just a bit of butter make this a healthy and indulgent all rolled into one.  This healthiness should hold me over until the fall flavors food guilt comes around.

Strawberry Balsamic Muffins (recipe from Simply Recipes)

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

1/2 cup milk

1 pint strawberries, rinsed and cut into quarters

2 tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

2 large eggs

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup melted butter, cooled

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

In a large bowl, stir together oats, milk and yogurt until well combined.  Set aside.  In a separate smaller bowl, mix together strawberries, sugar and balsamic vinegar until well combined.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease a 12 cup muffin tin.

To the oat mixture, whisk in eggs, butter, brown sugar and vanilla.  On top of the oat mixture, sift in both flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pepper and cinnamon.  Gently stir in strawberry mixture.

Fill each muffin tin almost to the top.  Bake for 20-22 minutes until golden brown on top.  Let stand in muffin tin for about 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack.  These are best eaten freshly baked and warm.

This entry was posted on August 30, 2012 at 9:02 am and is filed under Uncategorized.