Recipe Redux: Dark Chocolate-Raspberry Oat Muffins

 for this month's recipe redux we've decided to take on breakfast.

 so maybe muffins aren't always the healthiest breakfast, but i love them. paired with some protein on the side, i think these whole grain muffins definitely have a place on a healthy morning table. not to mention, muffins are not the kind of thing you can pick off the bakery shelf when you're gluten-free, so sitting down to one usually means it is a special homemade treat.

i was inspired by the delightful flavor combinations i stumbled across at simple bites. i also loved the idea of combining lots of rolled oats with my flour blend, which is already high in whole grain, to have a healthy and hearty muffin. dark chocolate and raspberries (hello, antioxidants...) were at the top of my list. yum, right!?

these pretty muffins are a great example of when avoiding gluten comes in handy in the kitchen. if you've baked many muffins, you are familiar with the admonition to "not over-mix"! over-mixing with regular wheat flour produces too much gluten and results in a tough, peaked muffin. guess what... when there's no gluten from the get-go, you can mix those suckers as much as you'd like and never have to worry about tough muffins. nice, huh? and because a tender product is the what we're going for, it is not even necessary to add gums, flax meal, or any other binder to the mix.

Dark Chocolate-Raspberry Oat Muffins

88   grams (about 1 cup) old-fashioned rolled oats (certified gluten-free)

1     cup milk

1     teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1     large egg

1/2  cup melted butter, cooled

1     teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4  cup dark brown sugar*

160 grams (about 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) kumquat's all-purpose flour or other gluten-free flour 

1     teaspoon baking powder

1/2  teaspoon baking soda

1/2  teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4  teaspoon salt

4     ounces dark (bittersweet) chocolate, coarsely chopped or broken

1     pint fresh, organic raspberries

turbinado sugar

Combine oats, milk and apple cider vinegar in a large bowl. Let stand for 1 hour. Remove egg from fridge to come to room temperature while oats are soaking. Melt butter and allow to cool to room temperature while oats are soaking.

Preheat oven to 375°. Add egg, butter, vanilla, and dark brown sugar to oat mixture; stir to combine. Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Fold in dark chocolate and raspberries. 

Spoon mixture evenly into 12-muffin tins lined with cupcake liners. Sprinkle each tin of batter with a finger-full of turbinado sugar. Bake at 375° for 21 minutes or until golden and a pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for a few minutes. Enjoy!

Yield: 12 muffins.
*these muffins are not overly sweet. if you like yours on the sweet side, add more sugar, up to 1/2 cup total. 

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don't forget to check out all of the healthy and delicious breakfast recipes for the month... click on the link to make the jump.