I am a big fan of books called “Cozy” mysteries. These Cozies are lightweight murder stories (less Jason Bourne and more Jessica Fletcher) that are solved by someone whose job is not that of a detective. My favorites are solved by sleuths that work in the food industry, and the authors usually include recipes mentioned in the story. A fun crime to sort out in a food setting, with instructions for making the food – what’s not to love! So, today’s post is inspired by a recipe in one of Cleo Coyle’s Coffeehouse Mysteries.

To make the recipe vegan, curdled non-dairy milk subbed for buttermilk and Just Egg was used in place of an egg. For high altitude adjustments I added flour and milk, while reducing the leaveners. If you’d like to enjoy these muffins while sipping coffee and catching a killer with coffeehouse owner Clare Cosi, then visit The Village Blend.

Raisin Oat Muffins adapted from Cleo Coyle’s Oatmeal Cookie Muffins

1 cup soy milk
1 TBS apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking)
2 TBS Just Egg
3 TBS canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup + 1 TBS all purpose flour
1/4 tsp sea salt
1.25 tsp cinnamon
generous 1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup raisins

Advance prep: whisk soy milk and apple cider vinegar together in a bowl or container. Let sit at room temp for 10 minutes. Add the oats, then cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight.

When ready to make the muffins, preheat the oven to 375F. Line muffin cups with paper liners and lightly coat the papers with non-stick cooking spray.

Put the Just Egg in a bowl and whisk until frothy. Add the oat mixture, oil, and vanilla, and stir to combine. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder. Add the brown sugar and raisins and stir. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir with a spatula until just moistened.

Scoop batter into muffin cups, filling 1/2 full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until the top of a muffin is firm to the touch and an inserted toothpick has just a few small crumbs. Remove pan from the oven and tip the muffins out onto a wire rack. Let muffins cool completely.

Until next time, happy baking!