Quick and Homey Oatmeal Raisin Muffins

Muffin Monday time!

Thank God today is NOT Monday, by the way.  I am so tired.  This is going to be the most needed April vacation ever (5 work days to go!).  Last night, Mark and I had grand plans to watch Dateline after we went out to dinner, but I was asleep before it started at 9:00, and I have a feeling he was too. We went to bed at 1:00 and I was up at 9:00 this morning - so, yeah that's about 12 hours of sleep.  And I would be lying if I didn't admit to contemplating a nap after I make some lunch.  This year is draining me!

Now, back to the muffins.  When you're drained and exhausted, you need something to get you through the day, something tasty and delicious and healthy.  And, as the name of the recipe suggests, something quick and homey!  Oatmeal raisin cookies are delicious, so why not turn them into muffins?

I think these muffins are fabulous.  They have oats and only a quarter cup of oil, so they're not terrible for you, and they're soft and moist and sweet.  Definitely a good way to start another exhausting work day.  Oh, and they are so quick to throw together that you'd be able to do it even on a Monday night when you're feeling tired :)

One note: the recipe called for olive oil to be used.  I just can't allow myself to put a quarter cup of olive oil into a muffin, so I used vegetable oil, but if you're not as psychotic about your oils as I am, then go for it!  I just feel like olive oil is expensive enough that if I don't believe it's going to add much of its flavor to something, it's not needed.

Recipe:

quick and homey oatmeal raisin muffins
from The Kitchn
makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup oil
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
cinnamon topping:
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon oil

Instructions:

1) Heat the oven to 425 degrees.  Grease a muffin pan or line the wells with paper muffin cups.

2) Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together in a large bowl.  Stir in the oats and raisins.

3) In a large measuring cup, whisk the oil with the egg and milk.  Stir the liquid into the dry ingredients just until combined.  Fill the prepared muffin cups 2/3 full with the batter.

4) Mix all the ingredients for the cinnamon topping together in a small bowl until crumbly.  Sprinkle evenly over the muffin batter.

5) Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan on a rack until they are cool enough to be handled.  Remove from the pan and eat while warm, or let cool completely and then store in an airtight container.