Hip Hip Hooray (accompanied by fanfare)  …. It’s National Oatmeal Month!  Yes, I know it might be a bit hard to get excited about oatmeal having its very own month.  It’s not as great as say, double chocolate chip cookie month but it beats the heck out of dandelion green month.

In celebration of oatmeal, and instead of putting a pot of water on the stove to boil, I have opted to create these miniature oatmeal muffins.  They hail from a small eatery in Shreveport, Louisiana called Bon Appetit.  It has now closed but was THE place to go for lunch for many many years.  One of those hole in the wall joints where you might not ordinarily dress up but you were forced to because you knew you would see two or three old friends.  The owner, Sue Fess, made such heart warming soups, crisp and unusual salads and delightful crepes.  These muffins were served alongside each dish.  I hope you love them as much as all of her customers did.

MINIATURE OATMEAL MUFFINS 

1 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup shortening

1 cup uncooked oatmeal (regular not instant)

1 egg, beaten

1 cup milk

Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Cut in shortening.  Add oats, blending thoroughly.  Add beaten egg and milk, stirring lightly.  Fill muffin tins 3/4 full.  Bake in 425 oven for about 15-20 minutes.  Makes 2 dozen miniature muffins.

It was just one of those kinds of days yesterday.  I was wanting something other than the usual Thanksgiving fare of apple pie and pumpkin cheesecake.  I was craving a quick bread.  My typical go to bread is a banana nut.  But yes, we have no bananas.  Zucchini.  Nope.  Just yellow squash.  A forage in the pantry and I decided to have a go at apricot bread as I had a can of apricots and a box of dried ones.  What else.  No coconuts.  No pecans.  But I did find some cashews.  Now we’re talking.  A handful of raisins and we are well on our way.

The recipe is easily adaptable to whatever you have on hand and the outside of the loaf crunchy and oh so yummy while the inside remains moist and full of flavor.    

CRUNCHY APRICOT BREAD 

3 eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup apricot juice reserved from the can of apricots

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

1 can apricot halves, cut into chunks, juice reserved

1/2 cup dried apricots, cut into pieces

1/2 raisins

1/2 cup cashews, coarsely chopped

Combine eggs, oil, apricot syrup  and sugars together in one bowl.  Combine the flour and other dry ingredients in a second bowl.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until barely combined.  Add the canned apricots, dried apricots, raisins and nuts and stir until combined.

Butter and flour a loaf pan and pour the mixture in.  Bake at 350 for 90 minutes.