Granola muffins to the rescue!

There are times when I am so bored with breakfast that I need something else rather than the usual cold cereal with milk or warm eggs with something. Sure waffles and pancakes are great, but I would have to cook them first, something I don't usually like to do when I am ravenous and not yet coffee-ed up while my 2 small kids in the background fight over a ball and spill milk on the carpet. And for those days when I have to get the kids ready, get myself ready, eat breakfast and rush for a morning meeting with my boss, it gets worse. So here's what I do. I make a batch of these babies the night before. And voila! I am transformed to a serene smiling mommy in the morning, sipping coffee with everyone, happily munching a delicious muffin that is packed with ingredients that delivers something for the health (granola), the mind (Mommy gets to feel accomplished) and the soul (a day that starts with smiles is a day that will be filled with more of them!)

Granola and Walnut Muffins with Chocolate Chips (adapted from Nigella's Granola Muffins recipe)

In this recipe, Nigella made her own granola, which I did not. I followed her example of intelligent short cuts and used store bought Chocolate Granola. Muesli would work too I suppose. I don't like dried fruits in my muffins, but I suppose you can add them too if you want.

Ingredients

225g plain or whole meal flour or a mix of both
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda/baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
250ml buttermilk
1 egg
175g light brown soft sugar
80ml vegetable oil (I used rapeseed oil)
250g granola 
A handful of walnuts, chopped
A handful of chocolate chips or chocolate chunks

This is how we do it

The beautiful thing about muffins is that all you have to do is mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. You don't even need a mixer for this, just a bowl and a wooden spoon.

So in a bowl, mix together the flour(s), baking soda, salt, sugar, walnuts and choc chips. In a measuring jug (or another bowl), mix the buttermilk, egg and vegetable oil together until it becomes a somewhat yellowish mixture. 

Make a well in the centre of the the dry ingredients. Pour in the wet ingredients bit by bit and mix them lightly to combine,  just so that the it forms a sticky brownish liquidy batter with lumps in them. With muffins, a lumpy batter is a good thing - it makes the muffins light and fluffly. 

Then, using an ice-cream scoop (or a large spoon), drop a scoop of batter into the muffin cups. It should fit all 12 to 16  normal-sized muffin cups, depending on how full the cups are.

Slide the muffin tray into an oven that's been pre-heated to 180 degrees and bake for about 25 mins or until they are risen and golden and spring back when you press them.

And there you have it! Breakfast, a sense of accomplishment and a peace of mind for tomorrow (and dessert for now).

Good things do indeed come in small packages. :-)