DALLAS' OATMEAL CARROT MUFFINS

 I made these muffins for our Saturday morning special breakfast. They were easier to make than they might sound. I didn't look at the clock to see how long it took me to grate 1 cup of carrots, but it allowed me to let the buttermilk and quick oats to soak for a bit which I think helped make the muffins taste so good. I poured the buttermilk on the oats and stirred them up and then measured out everything else I needed to make the muffins. Becky Helmuth didn't indicate that you needed to let the mixture set for 5 + minutes but I have seen that in other recipe that soaked oats in buttermilk.

Becky is/was a waitress at Das Dutchman Essenhaus in Middlebury, Indiana and her recipe was in Volume III of the Amish Country Cookbook. There were no personal notes so I don't know who Dallas was, but I can vouch for the recipe. I did add a little more than 1/4 cup raisins and about 1n 1/8 cup of chopped dates. That's what I had left in the bag. Becky didn't say how much of each to add, just that "if desired, add raisins and dates". I also use dried orange peel whenever a recipe calls for grated orange rind so I added about 1/4 teaspoon of pure orange oil that I bought at King Arthur's store in Vermont.

DALLAS' OATMEAL CARROT MUFFINS

1     cup quick cooking oats

1     cup buttermilk

1     egg, beaten

1/3  cup melted butter

1/2  cup brown sugar (I used 1/4 cup truvia brown sugar baking blend.)

1     cup finely shredded carrots

1     teaspoon vanilla

1     teaspoon grated orange rind (I use dried orange peel)

1     cup whole wheat or all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat)

2     teaspoon baking powder

1     teaspoon baking soda

1     teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease or spray a 12 - cup muffin tin. Set aside.

Pour buttermilk over oats in bowl. Set aside while you measure out all of the other ingredients.

Add beaten egg, melted butter,

brown sugar, carrots, vanilla, and orange rind/peel. (I also added about 1/4 teaspoon pure orange oil.)

Mix thoroughly.

Add the combined flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix,

stirring just until moistened.

If desired, add raisins and dates (1/4 cup each)

Fill muffin cups 3/4 full.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Quite tasty with a smear of butter on a warm muffin. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Can warm up for 20 seconds in the microwave, if desired.