Chocolate Oatmeal Muffins

I found this delicious recipe in my Hershey's Recipe Collection recipe binder. It makes twelve very moist and very decadent muffins. They also contain oatmeal, so you could eat them for breakfast. They are still much healthier than some store-bought or coffee shop muffins. They are also quick and easy to make. I left out the chopped walnuts, and I certainly didn't miss them!

Chocolate Oatmeal Muffins
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1 cup buttermilk or soured milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (I left these out)

Preheat oven to 400◦F. Grease or line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a small bowl, stir together the oats and the buttermilk. Let stand for at least 20 minutes.
In a large bowl, stir together the oil, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla. Add oat mixture, mix well. In a separate medium bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients. Add to oat mixture, stir until just moistened. Stir in nuts, if using.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 16 to 18 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

West Side Publishing. "Chocolate Oatmeal Walnut Muffins." Recipe. Hershey's Classic Recipes, Lincolnwood Illinois: Publications International, Limited, 2009. 338.