TWD: Great Grains Muffins

Didn't this week's Tuesdays with Dorie selection feel almost...virtuous? Christine of Happy Tummy, sensing that we all needed a brief respite from chocolate, butter, and more chocolate, chose the Great Grains Muffins. (Valentine's Day is just around the corner, so we can all fall off the wagon again soon.)

I think it took me longer to assemble my ingredients than it did to make the muffin batter. In fact, my oven wasn't even totally preheated when my half-recipe of muffins was ready to go. The "great grains" are all-purpose wheat flour, a smidge of whole wheat flour, old-fashioned rolled oats, and cornmeal (I used stoneground).

I'm not an unqualified lover of whole wheat in baked goods other than bread, but these were far from the dense, doorstoppy muffins one might expect. The stoneground oatmeal and maple syrup added sweetness and crunch, and dried cherries worked well here, but I can imagine these muffins with chocolate chips, apricots, golden raisins, or even plain. These were pleasant, sweet little muffins, not masquerading-as-cake muffins. Thanks, Christine, for making me bake something that was sort of good for me this week!

Next week: Bourbon Bread Pudding, as chosen by Sharon from Simply Southern

Last week: Nutty, Chocolatey, Swirly Sour Cream Bundt Cake