Wow, can it actually be Valentine’s Day tomorrow already?  My girls have been excited for Valentine’s Day for weeks – the other night my older daughter asked if we could go to my closet and pick out my outfit.  For a split second I thought she was talking about for the next day…then I realized, she was talking about Valentine’s Day.  Let’s see if I can actually remember to wear red tomorrow morning – it is not really my thing, but I know it would make them so happy if I did.

So, my older daughter is having a Valentine’s Day brunch party at school – and I can’t believe it – but this is her last year of parties…next year she will be in middle school.  She was told to bring something you would eat for breakfast – she even gave me some suggestions on what she could bring – bacon, eggs, sausage…seriously?  How would that survive the bus ride, and then the couple of hours of school before the party?  I just laughed.  Then she suggested muffins – ok then, excellent choice.

I went to the pantry to look in my recipe file, and there they were – sitting there, just waiting for an occasion.  I have to admit though, staring at the title, they did not sound that appealing.  I had to convince her that these would be delicious, even though I was definitely skeptical myself.  We made them this weekend, and I swear – these are better than the Quaker Maple and Brown Sugar Oatmeal you buy in those individual packets.  These were AMAZING!!  Cook’s Illustrated really hit a home run here.  The funny part of this recipe is that the batter actually looks like oatmeal!  These were some of the best muffins I have ever made – oh, and that topping – to die for!!  What a winning recipe.  So – if you are still up at this hour, trying to decide what to make for your loved ones tomorrow – how about surprising them with some of these lovely baked goods?  Oh, and don’t forget to wear red tomorrow!

Ingredients

Topping

• 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (1 1/2-oz)
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (1 2/3-oz)
• 1/3 cup pecans, finely chopped (optional)
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar (2 1/3-oz)
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Muffin Base

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (6-oz)
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (8 3/4-oz)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/3 cups packed light brown sugar (9 1/3-oz)
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 2 large eggs, beaten

Preparation

Topping