Oatmeal Muffins

Submitted by Chris Fowler
Originally in the 1991 cookbook

1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup shortening
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup quick-cooking oats

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
   
2. Grease bottom of 12 muffin cups.
   
3. Beat egg; stir in buttermilk, brown sugar, and shortening.
   
4. Mix remaining ingredients just until flour is moistened. Batter should be lumpy.
   
5. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.
   
6. Bake 20-25 minutes or until light brown. Immediately remove from pan.
   

Makes 12 muffins.

The secret to perfect, tender muffins is in the lumps. Muffin batter should be gently stirred just until all the dry ingredients are moistened, resulting in a lumpy batter. Resist the temptation to vigorously stir muffin batter until it is smooth. The lumps disappear during baking. Over-stirring creates tough muffins with pointed tops.