PRIZE-WINNING OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS WITH CHOCOLATE STREUSEL

I found this recipe on the Quaker Oats website. It was their 8th Annual Grand Prize Winner, so I figured it had to be good.  I followed the recipe pretty closely -- only subbing white whole wheat flour and adding walnuts to the topping; and adding vanilla to the muffin. These muffins are amazing. Thanks to the oats, they're light; and the buttermilk, oil and honey provide moistness, tenderness and exceptional flavor. Sometimes honey can overpower other ingredients, and I was out of mild clover honey. All I had was raw mountain honey. But the finished muffin tastes wonderful -- the honey is not the predominant taste at all.  The topping is interesting -- the little cocoa balls that form when you mix the topping become crunchy nuggets of chocolate when baked; and, along with the walnuts, are your first introduction to this muffin. Then your teeth sink into the moist and delicate crumb inside and the warm, melted chocolate chips. By all means, try this recipe soon. You'll be
glad you did.

Prize Winning Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins with Chocolate Streusel

Adapted from quakeroats.com

Rating: 10 out of 10
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INGREDIENTS:

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

2 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted

1/2 cup broken raw walnuts

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup quick oats, uncooked

1/2 cup chocolate chips (I used Hershey's Special Dark)

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. sea salt

2/3 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 large egg

Heat oven to 400F. Spray 12 muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray.

For streusel, combine sugar, whole wheat flour, cocoa and melted butter in small bowl. Stir with fork till all particles are moistened. Little cocoa balls will form from part of the mixture. Stir in the walnuts; set aside.

For muffins, in large bowl, stir together all-purpose flour, oats, chocolate chips, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, honey, oil, vanilla and egg, beating till well combined. Add to dry ingredients all at once; stir with spoon or spatula just till dry ingredients are moistened. Do not overmix.

Fill muffin cups almost full. Sprinkle with reserved streusel, pressing it in gently. Place muffins in oven and immediately reduce heat to 325F. Bake 20-22 minutes, or till a toothpick inserted near center returns with just a few crumbs. Cool in pan 5 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack to finish cooling. Serve warm. Yield: 12 standard-size muffins

Note: If you don't have buttermilk, you can substitute 2/3 cup milk blended with 2 tsp. white or cider vinegar.