Pumpkin-Oat Muffins

Batters for quick breads like banana bread and zucchini bread can almost always be used to make muffins. That's how this recipe came to be. Originally, it was called Pumpkin-Oat Bread and was baked in a cake pan. As muffins, it works really well.

I didn't have any quick oats. I wasn't sure how rolled oats would work, since there isn't a lot of liquid to soften them up. I tried coarsely grinding the rolled oats, but they wouldn't go through the mill very easily. So I thought I would try coarsely grinding oat groats. It worked! It looked like fine instant oatmeal.

For context:

Back: oat groats and rolled oats; Front: coarsely-ground oats

And now, the recipe:

Pumpkin-Oat Muffins

Stir together and set aside:

1 1/2 cups (6.4 oz.) whole-wheat flour (soft white wheat flour)

1 1/2 cups (4.9 oz.) uncooked quick oats

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

2 1/2 tsp. baking soda

In a large bowl, cream:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

Add and beat until light:

3 eggs

Add and mix well:

2 cups canned pumpkin

Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients all at once, mixing gently but thoroughly. Fill 24 greased muffin cups about ¾ full. If desired, sprinkle ¼ cup chopped walnuts on top of the muffins. Bake at 350°F for about 20-25 minutes, until tops spring back when lightly touched. Remove from tins and cool on rack.