Applesauce Multigrain Muffins

I usually avoid recipes from food packages - especially recipes that call for more ingredients from a certain brand, but I decided to try this one. I LOVE muffins, especially muffins that are mostly on the healthy side. 

Muffins: 

1 cup multigrain hot cereal, uncooked, or your everyday oatmeal 

1½ cups whole wheat flour 

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp ground cinnamon                             Topping: 

1 cup applesauce                                      1/3 cup multigrain hot cereal, uncooked 

½ cup milk                                                2 Tablespoons brown sugar 

½ cup brown sugar                                   1 Tablespoon melted butter 

¼ cup oil                                                  ½ tsp cinnamon 

1 egg 

The really frustrating thing about this recipe was that the directions are very skimpy! For instance, it tells how to make the streusel topping, but never tells you when to add it. At least I knew where to add it - on top! And, well, I never follow a recipe exactly anyway... 

Above you have the recipe, and now here are some better directions: 

Line your muffin pan, or lightly oil the bottoms. I ran (literally) to Haggen to pick these up this morning, in a windstorm, dodging falling tree branches, blowing empty plastic jugs of milk and rolling plastic coffee tubs. No joke - when recycling day coincides with a windy day it makes all the well intentioned citizens of Bellingham look trashy and irresponsible. 

Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl.

I don't like to make extra dishes, so rather than mixing the wet ingredients in a separate bowl, I just pour them on top of the dry ones. Notice the fresh, local milk from Twin Brook Creamery!

I picked up this applesauce from the Coop. It came from Rhode Island. GASP! GAG! What was I thinking?!?!? I always look at where my products came from... well, almost. I must have been in a rush, or in someone's way, or not feeling well, or OUT OF MY MIND. As far as applesauce goes, it tasted just fine, and at least it's organic, but next time I am going to find some from Washington. I mean, Washington is known for its apples, right?

Add the oil, and an egg. Our egg came from Dynes Farm in the Skagit Valley. Bill Dynes himself taught me how to make a proper omelet last year at a breakfast reading event at the school I volunteered at while I was in AmeriCorps.

Fill your muffin cups up about 2/3 of the way.

Mix the topping and dab it on top. Then bake at 400 F for 18-20 minutes. And salivate as you smell them baking.

Then you might let them cool for about 10 minutes. Or maybe you risk those white burn bumps on your tongue and eat them right away because they are SO good. Ours, of course, had to wait to be photographed first, yours might not. 

Either way, staying in and baking is a great plan for a Windsday!