Blue Steel Muffins (Zoolander, anyone?)

Are you craving a muffin like the ones they sell at bakeries, but fearful of the 500 calorie and sugar-crash price tag? Well, fear not, my friend, for I have the solution. These wonderful muffins are big enough to hold you through the morning madness (of course, I suggest adding a cup of yogurt on the side for added calcium and protein) while providing you with steel-cut oats, whole wheat flour, and a bit of fruit for some long-lasting energy.

I found this recipe on NYTimes.com, which, I am sad to say, will soon be locked behind a price wall. However, for the time being, I am scouring the paper's online recipe index as much as I can before it costs money to do so. Maybe "investing" in the Sunday-only subscription would be nice, since it's also a source for news -the international page is my homepage, after-all.

Blue Steel Muffins

(the name for these comes from the blueberries and steel-cut oats, but also my nostalgia for that stupid movie, Zoolander)

Adapted from the NYTimes

1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 1/3 cups buttermilk

(or put 1 T and 1 t lemon juice in a measuring cup, then fill to 1 1/3 cup line with low-fat milk)

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup COOKED steel-cut oats

(you will break your teeth and have to go to the dentist if you use un-cooked)

1 cup blueberries tossed with 1 teaspoon flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees with the rack positioned in the upper third. Oil, spray or butter 12 muffin cups, or use paper or silicone liners.

Sift together the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, beat together the eggs, buttermilk (or milk and lemon juice), canola oil, maple syrup and vanilla. Quickly stir in the dry ingredients with a whisk or a spatula. Do not beat, just mix, stirring up from the bottom until you can no longer see flour. A few lumps are fine. Fold in the cooked oats and the blueberries.

Spoon into muffin cups, filling them to just below the top. Place in the oven, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until nicely browned. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool for 10 minutes before unmolding.

Cool on a rack, or serve warm.

The little beauties, fresh out of the oven.

Note: although these are not sweet like cupcakes, they still have a natural sweetness to them from the blueberries and maple syrup. If you really, really have a hankering for a sweet muffin, I suggest adding 1/4 cup of sugar with the dry ingredients.