Dog & the (Dada) Muffin

A fantastic, cool, rainy day here in Chicago. Drink plants! Drink! I don't know why rain always makes me want to turn the oven on, but it does. Warm comfort? Perhaps. Leo knows exactly what I am doing. He is locked out of the kitchen and waiting for (not his) breakfast at the dining room table. Eyes already glowing.

A few people have asked for the recipe for the Oatmeal-Banana Muffins with Chocolate Chips... aka Dada Muffins and I thought I would share it with you- and not with Leo. The recipe is from the wonderful book, The Foster's Market Cookbook by Sara Foster. Foster's Market is located in Durham, North Carolina and seems to serve all of the food that I love (again with the comfort food idea...) I have yet to try a single recipe from this book that I didn't love. Neither has Leo, for that matter. In fact, (and I swear this is not a joke) after making something from this book, not too long after we got Leo, he sampled something from it off the counter- and then decided to eat the book itself. No, really the book. The introduction to the book is gone, as is the table of contents, and the jacket. He ripped the seam and pulled out a couple of pages to snack on. Rotten dog. No. No. Do not be taken in by that look. Remember the previous picture of the demon dog eyes? Yes. Thats right. (And yes, that is his head resting comfortably on the dining room table.)

Dada Muffins!
(or if you prefer...)
Oatmeal- Banana Muffins with Chocolate Chips:
preheat oven to 375

• line 12 large muffin cups with paper liners and spray top part of pan with cooking spray

• Place 1 and 1/2 cups rolled oats on baking sheet & toast for 10 minutes until lightly golden, let cool
  

• combine 2 and 1/2 cups flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in large bowl, stir in cooled oats

• whisk together 3/4 cups sugar, 12 tablespoons melted butter, 3 large eggs, 2 very ripe mashed bananas, 3/4 cups buttermilk, and 1/4 cup canola oil until well blended

• add egg mixture to flour mixture & stir just until the dry ingredients are moist & blended do not overmix fold in 1 cup of chocolate chips & distribute evenly in the batter

• Scoop batter into prepared muffin pan
• Bake 20- 25 minutes until the tops of muffins spring back when pressed lightly, and a toothpick inserted comes out clean

• Remove and cool for 5 minutes turn muffins out of pan & enjoy immediately
  

Indeed dog.

I have also used vegetable oil or safflower oil in a pinch & they taste just as good. I use 3 bananas if they are really small. I like to over-fill the muffin cups. Mini chocolate chips or peanut butter chips are also really tasty...just ask Leo. (I know, I know, your dog isn't supposed to have chocolate, but look at him- I don't give it to him, he just takes. Remind me to tell you about the Easter Basket Incident someday.)