Food For Friday: Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chip Muffins

These muffins make a delicious breakfast or quick snack.  I love muffins and as I have been looking for ways to add more whole grains to our diet, the whole oats and whole wheat flour in these muffins were a great way to do that.  And without all of the chemicals that come in most packaged muffin mixes.  They have a hearty, dense texture, but not an overly wheaty flavor.  They freeze well, so I often make a double batch and freeze half.  Pull a muffin or two out of the freezer the night before to defrost for breakfast, and then heat for 15-30 seconds in the microwave just before eating.

Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (Be sure you are using pastry flour!  I use Bob's Red Mill)
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 large egg
1 cup milk (I use 1%)
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup peanut butter chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Place 12 muffin papers in a muffin pan.
In a bowl, soak 1 cup of oats in the milk for 15 minutes.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder & salt.  Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.
After the oats have soaked, add the egg, vanilla, and oil to the oats & milk and stir to combine.  Add the oat mixture to the well in the flour mixture & stir quickly with a fork until the flour mixture is moistened and combined. Mix in the peanut butter chips.
Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.  Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown.