PLAIN MUFFINS

1 3/4 cup flour (2 cups if using frozen berries)

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. salt

1 egg

3/4 cup milk

1/3 cup oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and lightly butter muffin tins or line with muffin cups.

1. Beat egg in small bowl.  Add oil and mix well.

2. Measure milk and add to egg mixture. 

3.  Measure dry ingredients and sift into large bowl. 

4.  Add milk, oil and egg all at once to dry ingredients.  Stir until dry ingredients are moistened.  Batter will be lumpy.

5.  Fill muffin cups ¾ full.

6. Bake until a toothpick stuck in the muffins comes out clean, 15-20 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before turning the muffins out. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Yield: 9-12 muffins

VARIATIONS

Blueberry Muffins

Prepare batter as above.  Gently fold in 1 cup fresh or thawed and well-rinsed blueberries.

Chocolate Chip Muffins

Prepare batter as above.  Gently fold in 1 cup chocolate chips. 

Surprise Muffins

Prepare batter as above.  Fill muffin cups ½ full, drop 1 tsp, jam or jelly in the center of each and add batter to fill cups 3/4 full.

GREAT USE FOR RIPE BANANAS

I had a couple of very ripe bananas that had begun accumulating brown spots on the skins and decided to look for a recipe where they could be used.  I found a great recipe for Banana Muffins in Rose Levy Beranbaum's "Bread Bible" on page 121.  Her recipe includes sour cream, butter, egg(s), grated lemon zest, vanilla extract, toasted and chopped walnuts, turbanado sugar and is made with cake flour. 

Although my photos don't look all that exciting, these muffins are delicious...light and moist, with a cake-like texture, and the recipe can be done quickly---and easily.  They're on the order of a quick bread.  She doesn't suggest it, but after tasting them I think they could be frosted with a simple white cake frosting using a small amount of lemon or orange zest incorporated into the frosting.  She suggests making large muffins.  In fact her recipe is called : "Big Banana Muffins".  However, I prefer smaller muffins so I doubled the recipe and made a dozen regular size and a half dozen mini muffins.  They freeze well.  Just let them completely cool on a wire rack, then bag them in a plastic bag and freeze them. They're terrific breakfast or snack muffins. 

Howard