Oatmeal-Date Muffins

We picked up some dates at the farmer's market, and I used them in these tasty muffins.  These muffins are kind of like portable oatmeal, stuffed full of rolled oats and dates, and with a cinnamon-brown sugar topping. Yum! The topping is what really makes these muffins special, so don't skip it.  Even with the extra step, the muffins are really easy to put together, even in the morning when you might not have had coffee yet.  I often find low-fat muffins don't keep too well, but these did, so you can make a batch and stash them in an air-tight container for breakfast all week.

Oatmeal-Date Muffins (adapted from More-With-Less, via The Kitchn)
Makes 10-12 muffins

1 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 T baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup dates, chopped
1 cup milk
1/4 cup olive oil
1 egg, beaten

For the topping
2 T brown sugar
2 T flour
1 T olive oil
1 tsp cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 425.  Grease a muffin tin, or line with paper muffin cups and spray with a little oil.  (Because these muffins are low in fat, it's important to grease even paper liners so they don't stick.)
2. Whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl.  Stir in the oats and dates.
3. In a large measuring cup, whisk together the milk, olive oil, and egg.  Pour into the dry ingredients, and stir together until just combined.  Divide among the muffin cups (10 for larger muffins, 12 for smaller mufins).
4. Mix together the topping ingredients in a small bowl until crumbly.  Sprinkle evenly over the muffin batter.
5. Bake 15 minutes.  Enjoy warm, or let cool and store in an airtight container for a few days.