Almost two weeks ago, I hopped on a train and headed south to Seattle. I was visiting my very good friend who had moved back to the West Coast after a 3 year stint at library school in Durham, NC. While away, she had a baby and I was excited to meet the latest addition to her family, as well as catch up on all that easy talking that comes with hanging out with an awesome friend.
Since my train was to leave Vancouver early, I decided the night before that I’d pack along breakfast for the trip. So I dug around for a good recipe and found one on epicurious that seemed like it could do with a bit of tweaking. I really was in the mood for ginger and decided that adding dried ginger wouldn’t be enough – so I threw in some diced candied ginger as well, along with some dried cranberries because sometimes I just want to shove a bunch of things in my baked goods. I had a muffin before I left for the train station and it was delicious and I packed a few to take along with me, so I’d have something to nibble on during the way back the next morning.
Meeting in sunny Seattle was fun. We ate Salumi sandwiches with house-made prosciutto and sauteed pink apples along the waterfront, we poked about in shops and drank a delicious white ale at the Oddfellows Cafe. We also stumbled into the Cakespy shop and it was there that I remembered I had delicious muffins and figured I’d share. Unfortunately, as I pulled them out of my knapsack, they were totally smooshed. Jessie, ever gracious, accepted one despite appearances and I felt silly having brought the whole thing up.
Smooshed or not, I can vouch for these muffins. They are gingery without the darkness of gingerbread and the flavour was outstanding. However, next time I make these, I will lighten up on the oil or sub in some mashed banana as a replacer. And as for the rest of my Seattle trip, I have another serious recommendation: go to the Twilight Exit on a Wednesday night with your best friend. You should order the tater tots, drink an ipa or two, and hopefully you will not get snubbed by the 70 year old magician. That’s all I’m going to say – well, other than make these muffins.
Elsewhere: Want to see where the magic happens? Check out my tiny, ugly kitchen on ReadyMade and pointers on how to make your runt-sized space work for you! Leave a comment or two! Also, over at Poppytalk, last week I messed with a warm cabbage salad recipe and found a new fall favourite.
ginger cranberry oatmeal muffins
(adapted from epicurious)
1 c old-fashioned rolled oats
1 c buttermilk (or 2 t vinegar + enough milk to equal 1 cup)
1 large egg
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c roasted walnut oil (or any oil/melted butter of your choosing)
1 c whole wheat flour
1/2 t salt
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
1 t ginger
large pinch each of cardamom, nutmeg
1/4 c candied ginger, cut into bits
1/2 c dried cranberries1. In a large bowl, combine the oatmeal and the buttermilk, and let sit for 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 400F and prepare 12 muffin tins (grease them lightly or use muffin liners)
3. Lightly beat the egg, oil and sugar into the oat mixture. In another bowl, mix flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and spices and add to the oatmeal mixture, stirring until just combined. Fold in the candied ginger & cranberries. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins 3/4’s full and bake for 20 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.
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Yum! I have been wanting to make some oatmeal muffins, and these fit the bill perfectly.
fabulous! will make these for sure. ginger is wonderful for me now in my 2nd pregnancy. question: can I use frozen cranberries and up the dry a bit?
Growing up, we used to eat cake in a bowl of ice cold milk. I feel like I’d like to eat one (or maybe two) of these muffins the very same way.
Elizabeth, enjoy these because they are so tasty!
Jen, yes, I think frozen cranberries would be great. I’d try cutting back on the oil and maybe add another spoonful or two of flour and see how it goes. It would all be guesswork and play, so I hope it works out! Let us know.
Wow, that sounds interesting, Tracy!
Wow these looks really good, I could never understand how people can dislike ginger so much! Its so versatile…I’ve been on a baking marathon so maybe these are next 🙂
Mmmmm *dies* way to combine all my favorite things into a single morning muffin. If only I could find some really good dried cranberries. I can’t seem to find any that are really thrilling.
I love packing special snacks for the train! I’ve taken it north to Seattle once and the trip is very beautiful and relaxing.
Tell me more about being snubbed by this 70-year-old magician! What happened?!?!? I am so curious!
Kate
These look like the perfect fall muffin! Bookmarking for possible baking (if only I had more time).
Sounds like an awesome weekend! I always pack snacks when I travel otherwise fast food establishments just seem to call to me. And since I am currently in a serious ginger phase, I will definitely be trying these soon!
i have been craving ginger as well…i think its totally physiological, with the change in seasons and whatnot..
muffins look excellent!
Roasted Walnut Oil? And here I was wasting my time with plain old UN-roasted Walnut Oil?
These sound amazing! I hope you will post your revisions with less fat; I’m always looking for good low-fat muffins.
These sound amazing! As obsessed as I am with ginger, I’ve never thought to put it in muffins. Now I’m DEFINITELY going to have to try something like this 🙂
Muffins make the best travel snacks. I think ginger must be good for travel too. It’s supposed to ease your stomach and I always find it wakes me up.
I love you small kitchen post, by the way.
It’s quite predictable really. At the end of every post of yours that I read, I find myself saying damn, I need to make that – whatever it is. And yeah, these muffins are no different…
I’m so envious of your ability to hop on a train and cross the border for a few days of fun & shopping! It’s not that easy doing that living in TO. These muffins would be perfect to tote with me to work. Lately I’ve been popping into the nearby coffee shop to grab a pick-me-up and it’s starting to add up money-wise.
Eva, I know! Ginger is so essential and warming, I love it. Hooray for baking marathons. Come to my house?
Glad I could help, Desiree! Do you have a farmer’s market nearby? You might be able to find some there. Psst, I just used Craisins. I know.
Ha, it was a funny story Kate! At the bar, there was an elderly magician that was seriously wowing all the tables and we loved watching the reactions so much and wanted the magician to come to our table. We even (okay it was just me) stuck out our boobs to entice him over, but all night he passed our table by. I think it was that we were at the only small 2 person table and the guy had props, so our table just didn’t cut the magic mustard. Sad!
Rachel, winter and fall are long months, enjoy 🙂
Thanks Joanne, these are very gingery. Enjoy!
Alana, I understand the ginger pull.
True, Kitty! I stumbled upon some and it’s deelicious!
Lisa, when I do I’ll post an update.
You can add ginger to most things, Sues. Give ’em a try.
Rachel, I never thought of that. Good tip!
Aw thanks, Spud!
Bijoux, it was a 22 hour trip in total so not even a full day before I was back home. Can’t you take a bus to Buffalo? That should be pretty close by. Seattle by train is close to a 4 hour trip. But so worth it 🙂
Yum, the weather has been perfect for muffins and coffee in the morning. I love your polka dot plates by the way.
I’m definitely putting these in my “things to make” file! YUM!
I’m definitely putting these in my “things to make” file! YUM!
I’m definitely putting these in my “things to make” file! YUM!
I’m definitely putting these in my “things to make” file! YUM!
I’m definitely putting these in my “things to make” file! YUM!
I’m definitely putting these in my “things to make” file! YUM!
I’m definitely putting these in my “things to make” file! YUM!
I’m definitely putting these in my “things to make” file! YUM!
I’m definitely putting these in my “things to make” file! YUM!
I’m definitely putting these in my “things to make” file! YUM!
I’m definitely putting these in my “things to make” file! YUM!
I’m definitely putting these in my “things to make” file! YUM!
Thanks for the whole wheat flour muffin. I have decided I won’t bake with white flour any more and I have discovered that if the recipes are well written the muffins/cakes/etc are just as moist and tasty. Cheers!
Thanks Kristi, I love that plate too. It was a gift from a friend who thought it would look nice on food photos 🙂
Enjoy Mo’Betta!
Good decision, Sarah! I agree that ww flour can result in baked goods that are moist & delicious, rather than heavy and leaden.
I love a good healthy muffin recipe!
These are in the oven and I was licking the spoon the batter tasted so good. Thank you!
These are the best muffins I’ve ever made. I substituted 1.5 cups of fresh cranberries, the burst of flavor from each one combines really nicely with the ginger. Many recipes that only use whole wheat flour have an unpleasant dullness, but that is absolutely not the case here. The version I made has 167 calories per muffin, so substituting bananas for oil might make sense.