Boring Laura

I love breakfast baking for afternoon coffee/playdates. Scones and muffins are my absolute favorite thing to whip up whenever I'm having a friend over or have a big pot of coffee that absolutely needs drinking. And so, I thought I'd share some of my favorite baked-up batters inspired by some of my favorite people. Starting with . . .

Laura. Boring. Definitely.

No blueberries, huckleberries, or soggy fruit of any kind in this gals muffins. She likes 'em . . . boring.

And yet, I'd have to say that Laura is my muse. If it weren't for Laura, there would have been no Rachael Ray pics on my site. Laura was the one that came to eat my food and give me feedback when I cooked and photographed for D'Lish Magazine. Then we'd load the kids into our strollers and run on full stomachs - more fun than it sounds. She MADE me try out for Rachael Ray Show's "Hey! Can You Cook? 3," which officially launch my 15 minutes of fame.

So even though Laura likes boring baked goods, I will still bake! At our latest playdate, while our kiddos conducted a treasure hunt in the backyard rock pile, I stood over my jar of all-purpose flour wondering how to jazz up a batch of muffins without my favorite go to - frozen berries.

Laura saw my board look and suggested cinnamon and brown sugar - boring but brilliant. Easier than zesting an orange or lemon, I went with the boring request. Ground cinnamon was the perfect easy addition - familiar and special at the same time, just like Laura!

Turns out, boring can be bliss especially when it's paired with a mega pot of coffee.

Hip-hip-hooray for the Boring Laura, or maybe just a generous sigh . . .yeah, that's good.

THE BORING LAURA

Cinnamon and brown sugar may not be mind blowing, but they are still a mouthwatering muffin combination. I amped up the cinnamon factor by adding a sprinkle of sugar and spice to the top and substituting a bit of baking soda for powder to add a bit more lift.

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup oat flour (you can sub whole wheat flour, oat bran, or more all-purpose flour in a pinch)

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp salt

1 beaten egg

3/4 cup milk

1/3 cup canola oil

1 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a standard 12 cup muffin tin.

2. In a cup or small bowl, mix 1 tbsp brown sugar and 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon together. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, mix flours, sugar, spices, soda, and salt. In the used measuring cup, beat the egg with a fork. Add beaten egg, milk, and canola oil. Stir to mix just until combine. Do NOT over mix!

4. Spoon into prepared muffin tin. Top with a sprinkle of the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes in the tin on a wire rack. Remove from tin and enjoy warm.

Makes 10 -12 muffins