White House Honey-Oat Muffins

White House Honey-Oat Muffins

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It’s okay to alter a recipe from the White House if you’re Canadian, right?

I pinned these White House Honey-Oat Muffins ages ago. I was intrigued by the use of coriander in the recipe; it’s not an ingredient I’ve used before. I gave the jar of coriander a sniff and decided to give it a go. I also wanted to experiment with the flour a little bit, since I’ve been so happy with quinoa flour as of late, so I did that too. I cut back on the honey ever so slightly, cut the oil in half, added some more cinnamon, and voila! White House Honey-Oat Muffins, Canadianized with neither maple syrup nor bacon.

They came out great. The oats give them substance, the honey provides just enough sweetness, and the cinnamon & coriander add a nice little punch of flavor without being overpowering.

Dry ingredients first: oats, whole wheat white & quinoa flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, coriander, and salt.

dry ingredients

dry ingredients, whisked

Liquid ingredients next:  honey, buttermilk, canola oil, yogurt, eggs, and an unscheduled teaspoon of vanilla bean paste.

liquid ingredients

liquid ingredients, whisked

A little pouring of one into the other, a little stirring.

batter

Batter!

I sprinkled a little cinnamon sugar on top of each muffin before popping them in the oven. It’s become habit now, but it’s a good one.  The original recipe said to bake for 18 minutes, but mine were done perfectly at 15.

white house honey-oat muffins baked in tin

I gave them another five minutes in the pan before sending them to the rack to finish cooling.

white house honey-oat muffins on rack

white house honey-oat muffins on rack

And that was that. So simple, for a recipe made for a President. But simplicity is a perfect quality for a muffin.  I quite like these. The flavor is slightly unusual, but the oats and honey give it familiarity, an inspiring combination.

The test came via a small pack of six-year-olds. Juliet had friends over, twins in fact, and they were hovering over the muffins excitedly, waiting for them to cool. I cut one of them into pieces, a little nervous about the effect of coriander on six-year-old taste buds. I had them smell the coriander in the jar first, so they knew what to expect. Twin 1 took a bite, and made a horrible face. “Yech,” she said. “I don’t like it.” Twin 2 took a bite. Twin 2 smiled. “I like it! Can I have a whole one?”

“Are you sure?” I asked.

“Yes! Please?”

I gave her a muffin. I gave Juliet a muffin. They sat at the table, happily gobbling them up, and Twin 1 returned. “Um…could I try again?”  I suggested she have a bit of her sister’s.

“Yum! Now can I eat a whole one?”

And so she did. To the last crumb.

WHITE HOUSE HONEY-OAT MUFFINS RECIPE (original)

My version of White House Honey-Oat Muffins (adapted from Food & Wine, contributed by Spike Mendelsohn)

ingredients:

3/4 cup rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat white flour
1/2 cup quinoa flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 heaping teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup 1% buttermilk
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup low fat vanilla yogurt
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (extract is fine)
cinnamon sugar, for sprinkling (optional)

directions:

Heat the oven to 400 degrees, you will reduce the temperature later. Grease or line a 12-cup muffin tin.

In a large bowl, stir together the oats with the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, coriander, and salt. Set aside.

In another bowl, use a whisk to combine the honey with the buttermilk, oil, yogurt, eggs, and vanilla. Stir well.

Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry and stir just enough to combine.

Scoop batter into muffin cups and if desired, sprinkle each with a little cinnamon sugar. Don’t overdo it! These muffins don’t need to be overly sweet.

Reduce oven tempearture to 375, then bake for 15-20 minutes, until the color is golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Give them 5 more minutes in the pan, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.

white house honey-oat muffins on rack

Comments

  1. You have updated this recipe in the best possible ways. I love the yogurt, quinoa flour and vanilla bean paste from the whole pod. Best, Shanna

  2. They have turned out perfect! Honey and oat are wonderful together for a healthy and satisfying breakfast.

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