Hazelnut Babycakes

Technically, I suppose these little nibbles would be classified as a version of financiers or friands.

Hazelnut babycakes come together fairly quickly- charming little bites that are as nice to eat as they are simple to make.
They make a sweet little nibble with tea or coffee in the afternoon, crispy on the top and edges, and chewy within.

A treat to be sure, perhaps a little more rare these days if you're trying to be more careful- but they're meant to be shared.
Of course, you could use a different pan if you don't have this particular style. Just keep in mind that you'll be dealing with a different bake time and will likely have to be a bit more attentive at some point.
(Although I think these particular cakes are best in a small size because of their density.)

Hazelnut Babycakes
makes 24

1 c (100 g) hazelnut meal
1/4 c plus 1T (50 g) arrowroot powder
1/4 t (2 g) salt
1/2 t (2 g) baking powder
2 large eggs, plus one egg white- room temperature
10 T butter (about 140 g), melted and slightly cooled
1/2 c (100g) granulated sugar

Options:
raspberries or blackberries (or blackberry or raspberry jam)
chocolate (solid pieces to tuck in the center, or as a ganache to dip the tops)
a bit of espresso powder in the batter (especially if you add chocolate)

Preheat the oven to 375 F/190 C with a rack set in the center.
Butter the holes of a 24-hole mini muffin tin.
Blend the hazelnut meal, arrowroot, salt, and baking powder together in a medium bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and extra white together with the sugar a few minutes so the eggs are broken down and the sugar is well incorporated. Add espresso powder here if you choose to use it.
Add the melted butter and mix well.
Pour the hazelnut mixture you've previously set aside into the eggs, sugar, and butter. Mix with a rubber spatula, until just homogeneous.
Divide the batter among the spaces in the muffin tin, they should be about 3/4 full.
Now it's time to dress them up a bit if you wish. Tuck a berry into the top of each, pressing it down slightly to sink it in (but try not to hit the bottom of the pan). Or, add some chopped chocolate, or a tiny dollop of jam to the center of each cake.

Bake the cakes 15-20 minutes, or until they are golden and puffed. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool only a couple minutes before turning the cakes out onto a cooling rack (they may need a little assistance- just don't make the mistake of waiting until completely cool because by then they've glued themselves to the pan).
Let cool completely, dust with powdered sugar (or dip the tops in ganache if you choose), and serve. 

Caramelized Pecans (or An Addition to a Cheese Board)

This was something put together on Thanksgiving from what I found available to go with the aperitif.
Since everything worked out fairly well I had to write it down. I guess posting is my way of making sure I don't misplace it.

Relatively simple, somewhat festive, a little sweet and a little savory, caramelized pecans make a nice addition to a cheese board.
Perhaps slightly addictive?
A fortunate thing that the recipe makes a limited amount?

I like cheese boards with a little variety (taste, texture, color...).
Said cheese boards might include dried fruit or fig jam/lingonberry jam/cranberry sauce, nuts, and crackers or thin slices of bread

Well, the pecans weren't such a bad addition.
And since they're easy and a crispy little step up from plainer toasted pecans, I could see myself doing this over and over- provided I had what's necessary on hand when the special occasion need arose.
But really, I think practically everyone could at least do a variation to serve in a pinch.

Either that, or this could potentially make a nice little homemade gift in a pretty jar.
(In case you're wondering, they didn't seem to stick together when stored- I suppose the bit of butter helps with that aspect.)

You could, of course, omit the rosemary completely OR dress them up a little differently.
Instead of rosemary, maybe a touch of cayenne for a kick, or a sprinkle of baking-type spices: cinnamon, a touch of cloves and allspice (and black pepper to add interest?). Perhaps stir some orange zest into the caramel just prior to the pecans, and add a handful of dried cranberries before removing the pecans to cool.


Caramelized Pecans
makes 2 to 2 1/4 cups

2 to 2 1/4 c (200-225 g) pecan halves
6 T (1/4 c plus 2 T, 90 g) granulated sugar
2 T (30 g) unsalted butter
1/2 T (2 g) minced fresh rosemary needles
1/2 t (3 g) kosher or fine sea salt, plus more to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 F and place the pecans on a tray. Bake 8-12 minutes, or until lightly toasted and crisped, shaking the pan a couple times as they bake.
Remove the pecans from the oven and set aside.
In a medium saucepan or frying pan, heat the sugar over medium heat until it melts and takes on a nice shade of amber. Add the butter and stir through to combine.
Add the rosemary and salt, and stir to incorporate a bit and then add the pecans. Toss and stir until the pecans are coated.

Remove the caramel pecans to a piece of parchment paper to cool, spreading them out so they are separated. Sprinkle with extra salt if desired.
Let the nuts cool completely before serving or store in a covered container.

Peanut and Hazelnut Butter

I have been meaning to make homemade nut butter for a while now, thinking about it... but it didn't happen until just recently. I don't know why it took so long. It's relatively simple and you can have some fun with it.

This one has a bit of cinnamon and a hint of sweetness from honey. It's nice with apples, on toast, and it might be great swirled into a bowl of hot oats. Or maybe in the center of a homemade peanut butter cup? Though not really peanut butter...

Since I've made it, I've been imagining other versions I might try. Cashews processed with some coconut oil and spiked with cardamom. Pecans with apple pie inspired spices. And why not a version of Nutella- hazelnuts and cocoa powder? Of course, it might not be a bad idea to go basic and try out some plain peanut butter. I suppose I just went and jumped ahead there.

The point is that there are so many combinations that could be tried... maybe try mixing dried fruit and seeds into nut butter, bits of chocolate, coconut, different spices... start with a base and go from there!

Peanut and Hazelnut Butter
makes about 2 cups (around 500 ml amount)

1 c (130 g) hazelnuts
1 1/2 c (225 g) peanuts, without skins, dry roasted and unsalted
3 T (45 ml) honey
1/4 c (60 ml) peanut, sunflower, or another neutral oil
1 t (3 g) ground cinnamon
1/4 t (large pinch) fine sea salt

Preheat the oven to 350 F/ 180 C. Place the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast 8-10 minutes, shaking the pan a few times during the bake to toast evenly. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool slightly. If the hazelnuts have skins, place the nuts in a kitchen towel and rub them to remove the skins. Let the hazelnuts cool completely.
Place the cooled hazelnuts and peanuts in the bowl of a food processor. Process/pulse until the nuts resemble coarse sand. Add the rest of the ingredients. Continue to process until the mixture resembles nut butter (this will take a while- maybe up to 15 minutes total). Give the food processor a 5 minute break once or twice during this process as this is a lot of work for the machine- you do not want to burn out your food processor.
If you like it a bit smoother, sweeter, or saltier, add extra oil, honey, or salt and process to incorporate.
Remove the nut butter to a covered container and enjoy within a couple weeks.

*Yes, it is drier than standard versions of peanut butter, but I prefer to use less oil. 

Yogurt-Covered Raisins... Or White Chocolate Yogurt Dip

 

So, I recently saw a little post on Food52's Instagram with yogurt-covered raisins. There it was, and it included ingredients by name, but there were no measurements or instructions, and no recipe on their website either. 

Now, I would never say yogurt-covered raisins are an all-time favorite, but sometimes they might be what you "need"... as you might tell yourself. 

Although, thinking about them right now, they're sort of a strange food.

At the time I thought they sounded really good- especially imagining them with salted peanuts or tossed in as part of a nutty dried fruit trail mix.

Seeing everything covered in winter white might have been an extra inspiration.  

I can't say I crave white chocolate- mostly because it's overly sweet. Although there are times when it's not such a bad thing. It pairs nicely with buttery macadamia nuts, for instance.  Most of the time, I think that if you have white chocolate in a cookie, also having some dark chocolate helps to balance things out.

That said, yes, I am aware that white chocolate isn't chocolate because it doesn't have the cocoa solids. It's a different animal, and used for different purposes than dark chocolate much of the time.

Well, by no means are yogurt-covered raisins a health food. No way.

If someone chooses them over the chocolate-covered variety thinking they have some sort of an advantage, it's far from the truth. 

It's not only yogurt that covers those raisins. There's quite a bit of sugar, too. And there could be plenty of other stuff. 

(For instance, other recipes that I found included gelatin- not something I'm overly interested in for this particular application.)

The reason one really goes for them is their taste: a bit of yogurt-y tang cutting through some of that over-the-top sweetness.

As with that initial inspirational photo, the ingredients here are white chocolate, yogurt, and a touch of cream. While we could say there's plenty of junk in white chocolate, I would recommend when dealing with any type of "chocolate" (white, milk, or dark), look for something with 5 ingredients or less. Sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla, soy or sunflower lecithin (acting as an emulsifier) plus cocoa solids for the dark and milk for the white (well, milk chocolate has both, so in that case it's technically 6 ingredients). There are bean to bar makers that do not include the emulsifier- but I don't know that I would purchase something like that for cooking unless it was something very special, as the expense could potentially be a deterrent. 

White chocolate blended with yogurt helps to make the chocolate more "healthy" perhaps (while cutting some of the sweetness), and the yogurt more decadent.

Not a raisin fan at all?

Maybe dried cranberries could be dipped, or prunes could get half-coated.

If you're looking for something that would be more of an interactive dessert (a version of fondue?) pretzels or strawberries could possibly find their way into warm dip. 

Off camera, there were strawberries consumed with the white chocolate and yogurt.

And they were good. 

Though as a fresh fruit, I can say I would not recommend waiting for the dip to dry. Refrigeration however may be another story. Just make sure everything is dry before dripping. 

The same goes for pretzels: they'll likely become stale more quickly if you try to store them.

Perhaps add a little extra cream to facilitate pouring the dip as a sauce over a bowl of mixed berries? 

Yogurt-White Chocolate Dip
(covers about 2 cups of raisins)

1/3 c (70 g) Greek yogurt
4 oz (114 g) white chocolate
2 T (30 ml) heavy (whipping) cream
small pinch of salt

*Preliminary step: 
Place the yogurt in a fine mesh strainer or a piece of cheesecloth, suspended above a bowl in the refrigerator at least 2 hours to rid the yogurt of excess whey. The longer it drains, the shorter the time the raisins will require to dry. However, if you don't plan to use the dip as a dried coating, rather fresh and warm, you could probably skip this step completely.

Remove the yogurt from the refrigerator so it warms a bit before proceeding.
In a bowl over a small pan of gently simmering water (bain marie), place chopped pieces of white chocolate, the cream, and salt. Stir until just melted and smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and let cool slightly, stirring a few times to help the heat dissipate. Add the yogurt and stir until completely incorporated.

If you plan to dip raisins, let the mixture cool a few minutes so that it thickens slightly. If you plan to use the dip with fresh fruit, you can do so at any time. 

To dip raisins:
Place several raisins at a time in the yogurt mixture. Using a fork, scoop the raisins out and remove excess dip by tapping the fork against the side of the bowl. A toothpick also comes in handy to scrape excess chocolate off the bottom of the fork. Place raisins on a parchment paper lined sheet pan, perhaps again using the toothpick to ease them off of the fork.
Let the raisins set and dry, undisturbed. When the tops are no longer tacky, ease the raisins off the paper so that the undersides can dry as well.

From start to finish, the drying time at room temperature took about 20-24 hours (that is, with the minimal 2 hour yogurt draining time). 

Store the dried raisins in an airtight container up to a week.

Everything Halva

If you've eaten more traditional halva, this version will likely be a bit different for you.
It's sort of like a power bar, chock full of nuts and protein. Compared to what it could be, this "everything" halva is not too sweet- the sugar comes from a small handful of dates and a bit of honey.

Though I do like picking up halva on occasion at the store, I find I'm usually somewhat disappointed at how overly sweet it is. I guess I'm always surprised and don't remember it being quite so tooth-achingly saccharine.

Nut-based halva is usually made of ground nuts and seeds mixed with lots of sugar syrup.

It's not the case with this version here.
And besides, with all that's in it, I think this halva tastes better and is much more interesting to eat than what I can buy at the store.
Plus, if using appropriate oats, it's free from gluten in addition to eggs and milk if those are allergens you watch for.
Though caution- there are nuts.

Though not completely necessary, goji berries add a nice pop of color, along with some different texture and flavor.
(I always think it's quite strange that as berries they taste like graham crackers- well, they do to me, anyway.)

Everything halva is a nice sit-down treat with black coffee or tea, or great as a pick-me-up on it's own when you need a little something for a snack.

I like to slice into little fingers, perhaps 36-42 per batch.


Everything Halva
Adapted from The Vibrant Table by Anya Kassoff

6 large medjool dates, pits removed and flesh soaked in water for 1 hour
1 c (150 g) raw hazelnuts
1 c (120 g) raw walnuts
1 c (130 g) raw cashews
1/2 c (56 g) raw pecans
3/4 c (75 g) rolled oats
1/2 c (75 g) roasted sunflower seeds
1 T (15 ml) coconut oil
1/4 c (60 ml) tahini
a pinch of salt
1/4 c plus 1 T (75 ml) honey
1/4 c (38 g) sesame seeds
1/4 c (44 g) chia seeds
1/4 c (38 g) hemp hearts
1/2 c (66 g) pumpkin seeds
1/2 c (70 g) roasted and salted pistachios
1/2 c (55 g) goji berries (optional)

Soak the dates in a bowl of water 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350 F/175 C.
Prepare a small pan with sides (8x8 inch, 9x9 inch... I like an 11x7) with a layer of parchment paper that extends up the sides of the pan. 

Place the hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, and pecans on a baking sheet, making sure that the hazelnuts take up a section by themselves to facilitate removal of the skin after toasting.
Toast the nuts about 10 minutes, then remove the sheet pan from the oven and allow the nuts to cool completely. Rub the hazelnuts between two layers of a towel to remove the skins, trying to keep those bits as separate as possible from the other nuts (though skin really won't hurt anything). 

Place the oats in the bowl of a food processor and pulse several times so that they are mostly broken down. Remove the ground oats to a large bowl. 
Pour all the nuts into the food processor along with the sunflower seeds and process until they resemble chunky breadcrumbs. Drain the dates and add them to the nut mixture with the coconut oil, tahini, and salt. Process the mixture well, until it is combined and smooth as possible. 

Pour the contents of the food processor into the large bowl containing the ground oats. Add the honey, sesame seeds, chia seeds, hemp hearts, pumpkin seeds, pistachios, and goji berries. 
Knead everything with your hands until everything is well-combined and the mixture is relatively homogenous. The mixture will be sticky and should hold together if your take a bit and compress it in your fist. 

Turn the mixture out into the parchment-lined pan and press it tightly into a single layer. 
Freeze the halva in the pan 1 hour. 
Remove the pan from the freezer and lift the parchment paper and halva from the pan. 
Slice the halva into serving-sized bars using a large sharp knife. 

Halva can be refrigerated 3 weeks stored in an airtight container. 

Socca

Socca is a simple chickpea flour crêpe from the south of France. 
While there are types of chickpea flour pancakes in several different countries, such as Italy and India (and, of course, with different names), we're going with France here. 

  

With a few simple ingredients, something wonderful can be created.

I like to make socca as part of a light meal, and it's the only reason I keep chickpea flour around. 

This version here isn't the thinnest you'd ever find, but instead it's got a toothsome bite and the edges have a nice crunch.

The version I prefer isn't strictly plain- it has some character from the addition of spices.

Socca is classically served with a drizzle of olive oil and grindings of fresh black pepper.
Try with sauteed onions and mushrooms, fresh herbs, or Parmesan shavings.

Recently I had a version with a fantastic fresh pesto, sliced sugar snap peas, and Parmesan shards.

But I also like to eat it with fish and lemon.

Socca 
makes 1, 10 inch crêpe
serves 4-6 as an appetizer

1 c (140 g) chickpea (garbanzo) flour (or a garbanzo-fava bean flour blend... which I actually prefer)
1 c (240 ml) water
2 T (30 ml) olive oil
scant 1/2 t (about 1 g) ground cumin
good pinch cayenne pepper

1 t (5 g) kosher or grey salt

several grinds fresh black pepper

To cook:
Olive oil for the pan

Whisk all ingredients in a medium bowl until smooth (the batter will be loose). Set aside and let sit 30 minutes. 

Heat the broiler element of the oven on high. Drizzle a heavy 10 inch oven safe skillet (such as cast iron) with a bit of  olive oil and smear it around the inside until coated. Place the skillet in the oven a few inches from the element about 5 minutes to heat.
Remove the pan from the oven and pour in the previously rested batter. Tilt the pan as necessary to evenly coat it with the batter (move quickly so the pan stays as hot as possible). Place the pan back in the oven and cook 5-10 minutes, or until dry/cooked through and the top shows some spots of char.

At this point I like to flip it out of the pan and onto a cutting board (maybe with a little help from a fish spatula) and flip it charred side down back into the pan. It goes back into the oven a few minutes until the second side cooks a bit more and gets a little char. 

When finished, flip back out of the pan and back onto the cutting board. Cut into wedges and serve warm as desired. 

Ras el Hanout and Roasted Chickpeas

Ras el hanout was a spice blend I'd been hunting for a long time.
Moroccan, and meaning "top of the shop," ras el hanout is the best of what a spice merchant has to offer, everything pulled together in one blend.
Needless to say, there's no one specific blend, but many versions.
I suppose it all has to do with what one person's "best" might be, where the quality lies.
Some may contain more than 30 different spices in one blend (in contrast, what I have here is 14).
Potentially including spices such as ginger, saffron, turmeric, fennel, cardamom, rosebuds, lavender, a variety of peppers, cloves, both nutmeg and mace.... somewhat like a curry powder, it's exotic and intensely flavorful.

As I said, I'd been trying to find this spice blend for quite a while, but was never able to find any in stores when I looked. Online, yes.
After tasting someone else's gorgeous spice blend which was inspired by ras el hanout, I thought I'd mix up some of my own.
Yes, there was a jumping off point (found on about.com), obviously there had to be a jumping off point since ras el hanout is pretty far from my own personal background, but things can be very easily made your own when cooking.
Change a bit of this and that, add some of those... and obviously since there are no "rules" per se as everyone seems to have his or her own special recipe, if you like it, it works.

Everything rolled into one when it comes to spices, it runs warm, sweet, savory and spicy. Certainly flavorful and deep, spiced, but not overly spicy, the scent is pretty amazing. I wish you could at the very least smell it (I think it very easily elicits a well-deserved "wow").
I've been finding myself putting this spice blend on everything.
Truly.
Eggs, roasted vegetables (great on sweet potatoes), chicken, fish...
Though it hasn't been attempted yet, I think it would be equally nice on freshly stovetop-popped popcorn.

It's also very great mixed with a little olive oil, minced garlic, and preserved lemon peel to make a paste as a rub for roast chicken.

Add to a saucy chicken dish- perhaps a tagine?

I'm finding it does well with things that are particularly bland.
Thus the recipe for roasted chickpeas below (which would be really good on top of a salad)

Some of the spices called for are definitely going to be previously ground, no two ways about it over here. This is due in part to the fact that some are more difficult to find whole, maybe they don't "exist" whole, but others are more difficult to grind (I can't find pre-dried hunks of whole ginger to grind myself and I decided it wasn't going to be time-effective to open 50 cardamom pods to get the seeds I needed). If I DO call for grinding spices, it's only because it's definitely do-able in the situation called for.

Coriander seed, for example, is something I can occasionally find at a specialty grocery store. But, of course, I can't find it when I need it.
I can go to the spice shop, sure, but I don't always physically want to go there.
Sometimes there's something to be said for ease.

BUT, if things are accessible to you, and if you have the capacity, I would encourage toasting and grinding your own spices. The flavors will be much more present, as with pre-ground spices the flavors from the oils can quickly dissipate.
For example, I NEVER choose pre-ground nutmeg.  The flavor and taste of freshly ground does not compare to the dustiness frequently found in the jarred, pre-ground stuff.
Please invest in whole nutmeg if you can.

Here goes...

Ras el Hanout
Makes about 1/2 c (about 45 g)

2 t (5 g) ground ginger
2 t (5 g) ground cardamom
2 t (6 g) ground mace
1 1/2 t (4 g) ground cinnamon
1 1/4 t (4 g) ground cumin 
1 t (3 g) ground allspice
1 t (3 g) ground coriander seed 
1 t (3 g) ground turmeric
1 t  (3 g) ground nutmeg 
3/4 t (3 g) cayenne pepper
1/2 t (2 g) ground white peppercorns
1/2 t (2 g) ground black peppercorns
1/2 t (2 g) ground anise seeds
3 whole cloves, ground 

Mix all spices thoroughly and store in a covered container away from light and heat.
Use as desired.  

Ras el Hanout Roasted Chickpeas
makes about 1 1/2 cups

1 T (15 ml) olive oil
2 t (5 g) Ras el Hanout
1 t (5 g) salt
2 t (10 ml) lemon juice
15 oz can (425 g) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Preheat the oven to 425 F/ 220 C.
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.

Mix the olive oil, Ras el Hanout, salt, and lemon juice together to make a paste. Stir in the chickpeas, toss and fold the mixture so that the chickpeas become well-coated. 
Pour the chickpeas out onto the parchment paper, making sure to spread into a single layer. 

Roast the chickpeas 20 minutes, stir, and cook another 10-15 minutes, stirring every few minutes so that they cook evenly. 
When the chickpeas are golden brown, remove the pan from the oven and let cool completely. Store any extra in a covered container. 

Simple Cheese Course

Shards of Parmesan cheese and toasted walnuts drizzled with honey.
That's it.

The crevices in the Parmesan and walnuts catch the drips of honey, and the dish becomes a combination of salty, crunchy, nutty, sweet and sticky all at once.

Nothing need be exact, everything is made to taste.

It's a simple and unexpected pleasure.
It makes a satisfyingly different dessert- and it would be a fantastic midnight snack.

Maybe with a little cordial glass of Port?

Oatcakes

I've always liked granola in all forms: homemade, store bought, raw, baked, bars, loose cereals, shards and clusters for snacking...

This time the aim was a granola bar in muffin form, containing many of my favorite granola accoutrements.

I wanted something potentially portable, certainly substantial and filling, good with a cup of coffee or tea, for breakfast or a snack, not sticky, not tooth-achingly sweet. 

Instead they turn out to be lightly sweet, with a toasty, almost brown-sugary caramel flavor. 

The bit of batter helps hold together the oats, nuts, and coconut, without being the more common sticky "glue" that holds many granola bars together.
Really, the texture is pretty nice: nubbly with a bit of crunch, craggy, a little crumbly.  

And in the end I even think they're pretty to look at.

Because I didn't particularly want to make an extra trip to the store, I went with what I came up with after going through the grain stashes and some of the pantry staples at home. Luckily it didn't turn out too shabby. 

By this time I've made the recipe twice, and I'm thinking about other things I could do with it. 

In truth, and I suppose it's the easiest way to go, I mostly found myself thinking of particular granola flavors I enjoy. 

Perhaps another time I'll end up adding dried fruit (blueberries, cranberries, cherries, chopped apricots) or a mashed banana, maybe switch up the nuts and seeds. 

Then again, the basics are always good...

As they cool, the muffins end up with a crust- but a crust that easily gives way to an oat-packed interior without difficulty- dense without being rock hard.
And actually (coincidentally, and happily), this project ended up tasting very similar to one of my all-time most favorite granolas.

Oatcakes
makes 12 standard-sized muffins
based on a recipe from Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Every Day

2 1/2 c (260g) old-fashioned rolled oats (GF if that's what you're looking for)
1/3 c (74g) raw millet
1 c (128g) sorghum flour
1/2 c (62g) teff flour
1/2 c (52g) tapioca flour
1/3 c (53g) sunflower seeds
1/2 c (42g) shredded coconut
1/2 c (84g) raw sugar (turbinado, or brown sugar if you don't have raw) 
1 t (3g) cinnamon
1 t (6g) baking powder
1 1/2 t (10g) salt
1/3 c (80ml) honey

1/3 c (80g) coconut oil

5 T (72g) unsalted butter

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat the oven to 325F/160C.
Grease a 12-hole standard-sized muffin tin with coconut oil or butter (alternatively, place cupcake papers into the muffin tin).
Place the honey, coconut oil, and butter in a small saucepan and heat on low, stirring frequently, until just melted and well-combined. 
In a large bowl, combine the oats, millet, sorghum flour, teff flour, tapioca flour, sunflower seeds, shredded coconut, raw sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Stir well to combine.
Pour the honey mixture over the oat mixture, and mix with a spatula until homogenous.
Beat the eggs lightly in a small bowl and pour over the oat batter. Mix and fold in the eggs until everything comes together and the mixture is thoroughly combined.
Divide the mixture among the prepared muffin holes.
Bake 30-35 minutes, or until the muffins have risen and the tops and sides are golden.
Remove the pan from the oven to a wire rack and let the muffins cool 10-15 minutes.
(Initially the muffins are soft and crumbly- too delicate to remove from the pan successfully, so they require a little cooling time so that they firm up enough so each can be extracted in one piece.)

Gently run a knife along the perimeter of each muffin and remove from the pan to cool on a wire rack.

The muffins can be stored several days at room temperature in an airtight container (otherwise, they would probably freeze well for another day).