Basic Muffins With Variations Food

MUFFINS BASIC AND VARIATIONS

Steps:

• Grease 12 2 1/2-inch muffin cups.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Sift Flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a medium-sized bowl.
• Stir to mix well.
• In a small bowl, beat egg with a fork.
• Add milk and oil.
• Add all at once to dry ingredients.
• Stir mixture only until dry ingredients are moistened.
• Batter will be lumpy.
• Drop batter from a tablespoon into prepared muffins pans, filling each cup half to two-thirds full.
• Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Remove from pan and serve hot with butter, jam or marmalade.
• VARIATIONS:
• GINGER MUFFINS: Add 1/2 Cup finely diced candied ginger to flour mixture before adding liquid.
• BANANA PECAN MUFFINS: Prepare muffin batter but use only 1/2 cup milk.
• Add 1/2 cup chopped pecans and 1/4 t ground nutmeg to sifted flour.
• Add 1 cup mashed, peeled banana with the egg, milk and oil.
• BLUEBERRY MUFFINS: Toss 1 cup washed and well-drained fresh or frozen blueberries with sifted flour mixture before adding liquid.
• ORANGE MUFFINS: Cut 2 peeled navel oranges into sections.
• When batter is in the cups, place an orange section on top of each and sprinkle lightly with granulated sugar.
• CHEESE MUFFINS: Fold 1/2 cup grated sharp yellow cheese into muffin mix with the last few strokes on batter.
• Serve hot with scrambled eggs and bacon for a special breakfast.
• SURPRISE MUFFINS: Fill muffin cups 1/3rd full of batter.
• Drop 1/2 t of your favorite jelly in center of batter.
• Add batter to fill cup 2/3rds full.
• Kids just love these as you will.
• COCONUT MUFFINS: Add 1 c Shredded coconut with the last few strokes of mixing.
• For a snack have coconut muffins, butter and milk.
• CHIVE MUFFINS: Fold 1/4 cup chives into the batter during the last few strokes and serve at dinner.
• Great with a steak and salad.

BASIC MUFFINS WITH VARIATIONS

Steps:

• Beat egg; add milk, oil and vanilla.
• Stir in dry ingredients.
• Spoon into muffin pan.
• Bake at 375* for 25 minutes.
• Variations: After mixing add the Variation ingredients.
• Mix and match to get your favorite!

BASIC MUFFIN RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line 2 muffin trays with paper muffin cases. In a large bowl beat 2 medium eggs lightly with a handheld electric mixer for 1 min.
• Add 125ml vegetable oil and 250ml semi-skimmed milk and beat until just combined then add 250g golden caster sugar and whisk until you have a smooth batter.
• Sift in 400g self-raising flour and 1 tsp salt (or 400g plain flour and 3 tsp baking powder if using) then mix until just smooth. Be careful not to over-mix the batter as this will make the muffins tough.
• Stir in 100g chocolate chips or dried fruit if using.
• Fill muffin cases two-thirds full and bake for 20-25 mins, until risen, firm to the touch and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. If the trays will not fit on 1 shelf, swap the shelves around after 15 mins of cooking.
• Leave the muffins in the tin to cool for a few mins and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

BASIC MUFFINS

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a small saucepan or in the microwave on low heat.
• Sift, measure and then place the flour in a large bowl.
• Add the baking powder, salt and sugar.
• Beat the egg well in a small bowl.
• Add the milk, vanilla and melted butter and mix thoroughly.
• Put the above wet ingredients into the large bowl of dry ingredients.
• Stir just until the flour mixture is moistened.
• Fill greased muffin tins 1/2 to 2/3 full.
• Bake at 400 F or 200 C for 20-25 minutes.
• The muffins should be golden brown in colour and spring back when touched.

BASIC MUFFINS WITH VARIATIONS

Steps:

• 1. Stir together dry ingredients in a large bowl.
• 2. Add wet ingredients and any optional ingredients and stir just until moistened. (Adjust amount of milk depending on how moist your add-ins are - add less for moist things like banana, crushed pineapple, or pumpkin and add a bit more if needed for dried fruits.)
• 3. Scoop into greased muffins tins (an ice cream scoop works well for this). Sprinkle the tops with sugar if desired, and bake at 400 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until done.
• 4. NOTES: You can mix up a large batch of the basic dry mix (flour, sugar, baking powder and salt) and store in a sealed container in your pantry. To have fresh muffins in the morning, stir the mix and measure out 3 cups of mix for one dozen muffins, 6 cups for two dozen muffins, add the wet ingredients and the optional ingredients and bake. Or, for a large group, make a large batch of the basic mix and make one dozen each of a variety of flavors with a lot less work.
• 5. VARIATIONS: Banana Nut - add 1c. mashed bananas and 1/2 c. chopped walnuts. Blueberry - add 1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries. Pina Colada - add 1 small can drained crushed pineapple and 1/2 c. coconut. Apple Spice - add 1 peeled chopped apple, 1/4 teas. cinnamon and a dash nutmeg. Coffee Walnut - add 1 teas. coffee extract and 3/4 c. chopped walnuts. Pumpkin Spice - add 1 c. canned pumpkin, 1/2 teas. pumpkin pie spices, 1/2 c. nuts. Mincemeat - add 1 c. canned mincemeat and 1/2 c. chopped nuts. Date Nut - add 1 c. chopped dates and 1/2 c. nuts. Cranberry - add 1 c. chopped fresh cranberries, 1/2 c. nuts, 1 teas. orange rind. Chocolate chip - add 1 c. chocolate chips and 1/2 teas. vanilla extract, nuts if desired. Cherry Almond - add 1 c. chopped dried cherries and 1/2 c. toasted flaked almonds. Chocolate Chocolate chip - add 1/4 c. cocoa powder, 1/2 teas. vanilla and 1/2 c. (or more) chocolate chips (thanks LB). Anything else you can think up. Adjust amount of milk in batter depending on the moistness of the added ingredients.

BETTER-THAN-BASIC MUFFINS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees, with rack in lower third. Butter and flour a standard 12-cup muffin pan, tapping out excess. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, whisk together butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients; make a well in the center. Add egg mixture to well. With a rubber spatula, gently stir ingredients just until batter is moistened (do not overmix; a few lumps are fine). Add mix-ins, if desired.
• Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full; sprinkle with sanding sugar, if desired. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Loosen muffins, and tip them on their sides to cool in pan. Serve warm or at room temperature (muffins are best the day they are made).

BASIC MUFFINS (WITH VARIATION OPTIONS)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F Mix milk and egg together well. Mix dry ingredients and cut in butter. Add to milk/egg mixture. Add sugar. Stir until just moistened. Fill greased or paper lined muffin pans 2/3 full.
• Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Makes 10 muffins.
• You may change the basic muffins by adding one (only one) of the variations to the dry ingredients before adding other basic ingredients. Follow rest of the baking instructions as stated above.
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, 1/2 cup raisins, 1/2 cup peeled and cored grated apples, 1 cup blueberries (rinsed well and patted dry, if they are canned or frozen), 1 tbs. grated orange OR lemon peel.

BEST YET BANANA MINI MUFFINS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 2 mini muffin tins with cooking spray.
• Combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl.
• Blend bananas, sugar, butter, and egg together in a separate bowl. Add to flour mixture; stir batter well to combine.
• Scoop batter into prepared muffin tins, filling each cup 2/3 of the way full.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 15 minutes.

APPLE STREUSEL MUFFINS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. Whisk together first 5 ingredients. In another bowl, whisk together eggs, melted butter and vanilla; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moistened (batter will be stiff). Fold in apples. , Fill 12 greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. For topping, mix brown sugar, flour and cinnamon; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter. , Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 15-20 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool. Mix glaze ingredients; drizzle over tops.

BASIC MUFFINS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter muffin pans. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Add the egg, milk, and butter, stirring only enough to dampen the flour; the batter should not be smooth. Spoon into the muffin pans, filling each cup about two-thirds full. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes each.
• Blueberry Muffins.
• Use 1/2 cup sugar. Reserve 1/4 cup of the flour, sprinkle it over 1 cup blueberries, and stir them into the batter last.
• Pecan Muffins.
• Use 1/4 cup sugar. Add 1/2 cup chopped pecans to the batter. After filling the cups, sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon, and more chopped nuts.
• Whole-Wheat Muffins.
• Use 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour and 1 cup white flour.
• Date or Raisin Muffins.
• Add 1/2 cup chopped pitted dates or 1/3 cup raisins to the batter.
• Bacon Muffins.
• Add 3 strips bacon, fried crisp and crumbled, to the batter.

BEST EVER MUFFINS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
• Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Make a well in the center. In a small bowl or 2 cup measuring cup, beat egg with a fork. Stir in milk and oil. Pour all at once into the well in the flour mixture. Mix quickly and lightly with a fork until moistened, but do not beat. The batter will be lumpy. Pour the batter into paper lined muffin pan cups.
• Variations: Blueberry Muffins: Add 1 cup fresh blueberries. Raisin Muffins: Add 1 cup finely chopped raisins. Date Muffins: Add 1 cup finely chopped dates. Cheese Muffins: Fold in 1 cup grated sharp yellow cheese. Bacon Muffins: Fold 1/4 cup crisp cooked bacon, broken into bits.
• Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden.