Great Grains Muffins

I'm not much of a coffee drinker. The idea of drinking a cup of joe is really only appealing if said cup of joe is injected with a shot of mocha and sprinkled over a cup of whipped cream and caramel sauce. That said, I sometimes wish I had a coffee addiction, it seems so comforting: waking up, bleary eyed, to a steamy hot cup of coffee, like a friend who never changes and is always there for you.

Lately I've turned to tea. Tea is spartan. Tea only withstands a bit of sweetening (sugar) or souring (lemon) or richness (cream) and then you can't add anything else, because then tea wouldn't be tea.

Tea is also far more romantic than coffee. Sure, Voltaire slurped down endless cups of coffee, (He reportedly drank 50 cups a day. Which is what probably made him so anal. Anyone would get tired from having to rush to the restroom every five minutes.) Tea however, conjures images of stuffy victorian ladies swathed in clouds of lace and diamonds, with pinkies out. Tea is the drink of kings.

And you know what goes with tea in the morning?

Petite, wholesome, and oaty blueberry muffins. And an orange. Yes yes.

Great Grains Muffins

from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

Makes 12 muffins

Note: These are wholesome muffins. They are not the cakey monstosities that most of us have had to get used to. That said, they are lovely and almost crispy around the edges, very dainty.

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup yellow cornmeal

1/3 cup old-fashioned oats

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup pure maple syrup

2 large eggs

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3/4 blueberries, or nuts or dried fruit i.e. plump prunes or whatever else you may fancy

Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 400 F.

Butter or spray the 12 molds in a regular size muffin pan or fit the molds with paper muffin cups. Place the muffin plan on a baking sheet.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, cornmeal, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, maple syrup, eggs and melted butter. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or a rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Don't worry about being thorough-- if the batter is a bit lumpy, that's fine. Stir in the fruit or nuts, if using them. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a thing knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes, then carefully lift each muffin out of its mold and onto the rack to cool.