Oatmeal Muffins with Raisins, Dates, and Walnuts

Ingredients

• 1 cup of rolled oats
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/4 cup of finely chopped walnuts, toasted
• 1/3 cup of raisins
• 1/3 cup of chopped dates
• 1 stick of butter, melted and cooled
• 1 cup of buttermilk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg, beaten

Directions

1. Set the oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare a twelve-slot muffin tin by greasing it well, or tuck paper baking cups into the slots.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the rolled oats and all-purpose flour, then add the brown sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, walnuts, dates, and raisins. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, vanilla extract, and melted butter.
3. Add the buttermilk mixture to the oat mixture and stir only until the batter comes together. Do not keep mixing, since too much stirring will build excess gluten and make the muffins tougher. The batter should look thick and gloppy; about 10 seconds of mixing is enough to barely pull everything into one batter.
4. Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean. Leave the muffins in the pan for a minute or two, then move them to a wire rack to finish cooling.