Muffins Even I Can Bake

1/2 cup margarine
½ cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup quick cooking oats
2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 apple diced (but add more if you think that the apple might have been on the small side.
3/4 cup milk

1. Start by creaming the margarine and sugar together until fluffy.

2. Add one egg at a time and beat well after each.

3. In a separate bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients. Add the cheese, nuts and diced apple. To this point, you can beat as much as you want.

4. Slowly add the milk, but decrease the amount of stirring taking place to prevent heaviness. Just make sure that all the flour is incorporated into the batter. That means going right to the bottom of the bowl.

5. Spray you tins with Pam and then turn on the oven. You will be putting the muffins in when the temp reaches 375 degrees. Now fill each muffin cup about 2/3 full.

6. Bake for about 25 minutes. The muffins should come out of the oven when they are a nice golden brown.

Photo Credit: Amazon

I use walnuts a lot in my muffins. With my daughter, it's chocolate chips, but seeing that I have to watch my sugar intake, I load up (to a degree) with walnuts. Think protein, but what I wanted to share with you is how to store them. Nuts can go rancid and I can't think of a better way to ruin a dozen muffins that to use rancid walnuts. That's why I keep ours (except for a jar for cooking) in the freezer. When I empty the jar, I refill it. Walnuts (and any other nuts I would imagine will stay fresh and tasty.

*Do sort your walnuts carefully! I just found a few bits of shell. I wouldn't want someone to bite down and break a tooth! So take care to look carefully at your walnuts before you add them to the batter!

Photo Credit: Amazon

1 c milk
1/2 C. butter, melted
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 c all-purpose flour
1/3 C. sugar
1 T. baking powder
1 t. salt
1 c fresh or frozen raspberries (see below)
1/2 c white chocolate chips

Combine first 3 ingredients in a bowl and then stir to thoroughly mix. Now add the dry ingredients and continue stirring. Don't you just love simple recipes!!
Now add the fruit and the white chocolate chips and combine until everything is well mixed. You know how I feel about biting into a chunk of baking powder. This is the only way I know to prevent it from happening.
Spoon into two paper lined muffin tins. You should have enough batter for 12 muffins.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for about a half hour. Just keep an eye on them. Some ovens cook faster than others. The finished muffins should be a nice toasty brown color. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes and then turn them out onto a cooling rack.

Okay, I have to be careful with the sugar content, so maybe a bite, but if you don't have to worry... I say indulge. Hey, the weekends coming up! :)

* I have begun picking up bags of flash frozen fruit so that I can choose whatever kind of berry I happen to be craving at the moment. The last muffin featured blackberries! So, pretty much the sky is the limit!

Photo Credit: http://www.sxc.hu

1 1/2 cups currents or raisins (I prefer currents
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, cubed
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup no sugar maple syrup

DIRECTIONS
1. Spoon the first six ingredients into a sauce pan and cook over medium heat until the mixture just begins to bubble and has thickened just a little bit from where it began. Transfer from the heat and allow to cool. I put my saucepan out in the garage which is only a few feet away. I don't want to make the fridge work any harder than it has to.
2. Now's the time to turn on the oven to medium high(375 degrees) Slip cup cake papers into 12 muffin cups and set aside until you need them.
3. In a large mixing bowl (I have a favourite stainless steel bowl that I always use. Don't know if makes a difference, but I always reach for same bowl. Now place sifted flour, baking powder, soda, and salt into the bowl. Make your well and then dump in the sugar mixture that has been cooling. Stir long enough to prevent any surprise lumps once muffins are cooked. Add the and keep stirring. When you are happy with the batter, carefully spoon into muffin cups. If you can transfer all of the batter into the muffin cups without hitting the edges, you are a lot better than me.
4. Bake at 375 until muffins are a toasty color and a strand of uncooked spaghetti inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean. This should take about 25 minutes. For the first time, just keep your eyes on the muffins just in case they cook faster in your oven than in mine. Remove from oven and allow to cool but I have to admit, they taste the best while still warm. Another good one with coffee.
*If you like them sweeter, remember I always reduce the sugar, but if you don't have to, you can add an extra ¼ cup until you get the perfect flavour.

*About my preference for currents... they are tinier than raisins... so not as chewy. Hate raisins because of that ;)

I was just reading about how important it is to mix your muffin batter LIGHTLY and that the lumps will disappear during the baking process. HELLO... my lumps don't always disappear, especially if the lumps are baking powder. That's why I always use a sifter. The flour lumps might "dissolve away", but trust me, baking powder or baking soda lumps love to surprise you!

Amco 5-Cup Sifter

2 medium eggs, beaten.
2 cups of sifted flour.
1 cup of milk.
½ cup of crunchy peanut butter(as low in sugar as you can find)
¼ cup of sugar.
2 tablespoons of butter, melted.
3 teaspoons of baking powder.
1 teaspoon of salt.

1.Combine all dry ingredient and sift to prevent lumps.

2. Stir in peanut butter and stir into submission (that means a lot) You might want help with this if you are using natural peanut butter.

3. Crack eggs into a bowl (watch for bits of egg shell) and then add milk. Wisk with a fork. Pour into batter.

4. Add the melted butter and stir until mixture is somewhat combined. (I'm still having a hard time telling you not to beat it thoroughly)

5. Spray muffin tins with vegetable spray and then fill each well equally.

6. Bake in a hot (400 degree F oven) for about 25 minutes. Again, place pans in center of oven and check 5 minutes before timer goes off just in case your oven is hotter than mine.

7. Allow to cool for a few minutes and then turn out onto a baking rack to cool.

Photo Credit: Amazon

1 egg
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1/4 cup brown sugar, loosely packed
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 finely chopped apple

Directions:
1. Beat egg with fork.
2. Add liquids
3. Place dry ingredient in a sifter and then add to liquids
4. Stir in nuts and finely chopped apple.
5. Spray muffin tins with Pam and fill about 2/3 full.
6. If you are watching your sugar intake, skip the next step, but if you can get away with it, sprinkle the tops with cinnamon sugar.

Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

*Photo Credit: Amazon

Have you noticed that suddenly pumpkins are showing up everywhere and my favorite has to be the Pumpkin Spice Latte. Now I have been known to bring it home so that I can have one of my muffins too! You simply can't get too much of a good thing!

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup chopped and toasted walnuts

No one in my household likes pumpkin pie, so this is the closest I can get.
Luckily they are easy to whip up.

Step by Step Instructions
1. Measure out each of the dry ingredients and sift into a large bowl. That goes for the baking powder and the soda especially. Nothing worse than biting into a clump of baking soda.

2. In a second bowl, combine the next four ingredients and stir well to combine.

3. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and then pour in the spicy pumpkin mixture. Add nuts and stir and stir and stir. I know that they usually tell you not to over mix muffins, but I don't want to find lumps. Never could understand that!!

4. Spray 2 muffin tins with oil or use cup cake papers and then fill with the muffin batter. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. Allow to cool on a rack.

Photo Credit: http://www.sxc.hu

If you won't be using all the muffin cups, pour a few tablespoons of water into each metal cup. This will prevent your pan from warping and we wouldn't want that!

And then there are these muffin cups... definitely won't be warping!

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, beaten ( or one large egg)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 cup chopped walnuts, chopped (or whatever nuts you have on hand)

Measure the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a large bowl. Make a well in the center.

Add the eggs, milk and butter and stir just long enough to incorporate all of the dry ingredients. (Not too long or you will get heavy muffins, which I don't mind by darling daughter hates. She likes them light and airy.) Now stir in the nuts.

Spray muffin tins with Pam (or butter the wells if you prefer) and spoon in the batter. They should be about 3/4 full. I use two muffin tins for 6 muffins each.

Bake at 400 for about 15 minutes. Check to see if they are done as every oven is different.

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1. Following the recipe on the opposite page. Definitely have done that a couple of times.

2. Not sifting the ingredients leading to chunks of baking soda to bite into.

3. Not setting the timer and then forgetting about them and yes, I've done that too.

4. Using baking soda instead of baking powder.

5. Placing your muffins close to the wall of the oven instead of the center. That is a very good way of burning them.

1 pack Duncan Hines Deluxe Banana Cake Mix
2 T flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup chopped nuts... I throw in more
3/4 cup milk with an extra 2 T
2 large eggs

1. Oven set to 375
2. Spray muffin tins with veg spray (enough batter for 24 muffins)
3. Combine dry ingredients and then add milk and eggs. Again, don't over mix.
4. Fill muffin cups about 1/3 full
5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes depending on your stove. No two ovens work alike. You will want these muffins to be a nice toasty brown color.

AND YOU DON'T EVEN NEED ONE BANANA!

Photo credit: SXC.hu

1 1/2 cups raisins
4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
6 eggs
1 (29 ounce) can pumpkin
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup chopped walnuts
DIRECTIONS

1. You are going to find yourself with a LOT of muffins with this recipe, so begin by spraying 3x 12 cup muffin tins. Set the oven to 350 and then start on the recipe.

2. Soak raisins in hot water for about 5 minutes and then drain well. I like to dump them onto a paper towel to absorb the excess water.

3. Combine the dry ingredients and then set aside.

4. In a second bowl, add the wet ingredients and stir until well combined.

5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and continue stirring until batter is smooth.

6. The last step is to add the raisins and the walnuts.

7. Bake for about 30 minutes. To test, I use a long wooden skewer. It should come out clean.

*These are not overly sweet muffins in case you are wondering. :)

Perfect with coffee on a cool autumn afternoon.

Photo Credit: Amazon

*Thanks to genetics, I am pre-diabetic and I plan on staying that way, so this is my first offering. And they actually taste good! Who knew!!

1 cup skim milk
1 cup bran
*Place both together in a bowl and leave bran to soak up the milk

1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
handful of chopped walnuts
*stir all to combine

Pour bran mixture into dry mixture and then add
1/3 cup of oil
1 egg
¼ cup brown sugar NOT PACKED
½ tsp vanilla

Stir all until batter is smooth. I don't like to bite into a lump of baking soda so I stir the mixture big time. Batter is NOT lumpy.

Spray/butter or use baking cups and fill 12 muffin wells until you run out of batter. Bake in a relatively hot oven (375 degrees) for about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and turn out onto a cooling rack.

You might be curious about how little sugar is in the recipe but trust me%u2026 they taste incredible with a cup of coffee. You might even find that you want to reduce the sugar in other recipes as well!!

Photo Credit: http://www.sxc.hu

2 cups white flour
½ tsp salt
1 T baking powder
2 very ripe bananas
1/3 cup applesauce
½ cup milk
handful of chopped walnuts

1. Set oven to 350 F

2. Combine dry ingredients including walnuts.

3. Mash bananas, add applesauce and milk.

4. Add liquids (banana included) to the dry ingredients and then stir just until mixed. Watch out for those dreaded baking powder lumps.

5. Spray muffin tins with your favourite cooking spray and spoon in batter. Should be enough to fill 12 muffin "cups". Bake for about a half hour. Muffins should be lightly browned on top.

Photo Credit: Amazon

8 oz (1 can) of crushed pineapple, including juice.
2 medium eggs, beaten.
2 cups of flour.
1 cup of sugar.
½ cup of unsweetened applesauce.
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.
1 teaspoon of lemon extract.
½ teaspoon of baking soda.
½ teaspoon of salt.

Set oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your muffin pans with a little Pam or your favourite spray.
Combine all of the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Now, combine the beaten eggs, the apple sauce, the pineapple and the extracts together, and yes, I purposely bought a bottle of lemon extract just to see how it would taste. I have never deviated from vanilla up to this point. Now mix the two bowls together. (Gently)

Spoon batter into muffin tins and bake for about 15 minutes. If you press the top of one of the muffins, the center should take its original shape no indent remaining)

Remove from tins and allow to cool on baking rack.

Photo Credit: Amazon

3 3/4 cups biscuit mix ( love my Bisquick)
2 cups (about
8 Ounces) shredded sharp cheddar
Cheese
2 tablespoons Poppy seeds
1 Egg -- beaten
1 1/2 cups Milk

1. Combine biscuit mix, the shredded cheese, and the poppy seeds in a bowl and sit aside.
2. In a second bowl, blend the egg and the milk and then stir into the dry ingredients. And I stir until the batter is smooth. I just don't get this "stir just to moisten" stuff.
3. Transfer batter to a jug and then pour into prepared muffin tins. (I spray mine with Pam)
4. Bake at 350 minutes for about 30 minutes%u2026 but check during the last 10 minutes just in case your oven cooks faster than mine.
5. Remove from pan and serve immediately. This is when they taste the best!!

1/4 cup light oil
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup white sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped strawberries

how to...

*Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
*Spray muffin cups (8) with vegetable spray.
*Combine oil, egg and milk and froth it up with a fork.
*Combine dry ingredients and then add chopped berries so that they are completely coated with the dry ingredients.
*Add the liquid and stir gently to combine.
*Spoon batter into muffin cups and bake for about 25 minutes.
*Allow to cool for about 15 minutes and then turn out onto a cooling rack.

Photo Credit: Amazon (and yes that is a mousepad and it looks good enough to eat!)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup pecans

1. Set oven to 350 (moderate)If you are using conventional muffin tins, spray with Pam.
2. Place all the dry ingredients into a sifter, sift into large bowl and then set aside. (I find I make the best muffins when I use a wide mixing bowl. Not sure the reason, but I have found one bowl that works and now, that's the only bowl I use.)
3. Combine liquids (including the egg) and beat with a fork to combine. Add to the dry ingredients.
4. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts, and beat well. I don't go easy on the mixing for this recipe.
5. Fill each muffin cup about ¾ full or just spoon into each cup until you run out of batter.
6. Bake for 20 minutes. A piece of spaghetti inserted into the center of each muffin should come out dry. Add an additional five minutes if they seem gooey.

*this recipe is not skimping on sugar... so be sure that you like your muffins SWEET! And I have been known to add a lot more chocolate chips to the batter as well. If that's the case, I usually cut back on the sugar. Your choice ;)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 egg
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
1. Set oven to 350 degrees and then spray 12 muffin cups with Pam.
2. Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl using a sifter to prevent lumps. Now stir in the milk, the egg and the 1/3 of a cup of melted butter. Lastly, pour in the chocolate chips. If 2 cups seems like a lot to you, feel free to cut back. We have a house full of chocoholics here so the more chocolate the better in their minds. Now, give it a good stir to make sure that batter is smooth.
3. Pour batter into a jug (I find this neater on occasion) and pour into prepared muffin tins.
4. Muffins should be cooked after about 20 minutes, but check the oven about 5 minutes early just to be sure. Again, use the strand of uncooked spaghetti to test the muffin.

Photo Credit: http://www.sxc.hu

In our house everyone loves cornmeal muffins but they have to be the gritty sort... which means a different grade of cornmeal. If you have never noticed the different textures, go to a bulk food store and check them out. It makes a huge difference. And now onto the recipe.

1 1/4 cup flour
1 cup gritty cornmeal
1/4 cup white sugar
4 tsp baking powder
good pinch of salt
1 egg
1/4 cup oil
1 cup skim milk

Break egg into large mug. Break yolk with a fork and froth it up for a few seconds. Add oil and milk and froth with fork to combine.

In separate bowl mix the dry ingredients. Make a well in center and then pour in milk/oil and egg mixture.

I followed my daughter's suggestion on just stirring the wet ingredients into the flour just until it was mixed. ( A lot shorter a time that I usually mix) A little nervous about the outcome, I spooned the batter into pre-sprayed muffin tins. (Pam used again)

Bake in the center of the 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. check though to be sure that your oven is as hot as mine. You might need an additional five minutes or so.

Let them cool for a few minutes and then flip them out onto a cooling rack.

We served them warm with Tortilla Soup and they were amazing. (The Tortilla Soup came from a packet so don't get too excited that I'm turning into a cook. ) I'm still the add water and stir kind of cook. ;)

Photo Credit: http://www.stockxpert.com

2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup blueberries

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400F

2. Combine the dry ingredients (first four) and set aside. Sift to prevent lumps.

3. In a small bowl, beat the egg with a fork. Stir in milk and oil. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and then add the egg, milk and oil.

4. Mix quickly with a fork until moistened, but do not beat. (This is my daughter's way of doing it. I definitely beat.

5. If you follow Britt's (my daughter's preference, the batter will be lumpy. Mine will be smooth. Now pour the batter into buttered muffin cups and bake for 25 minutes or until golden.

*I find that if you butter the muffin cups, the muffins come out with a crunchy texture. You are adding calories, but they are awfully good this way. Once in a while, go for it. Maybe a Saturday morning when you want to treat yourself.

Photo Credit: http://www.sxc.hu

We eat a LOT of muffins around here, so I thought that I would just jot down my comings and goings in the world of muffins.

*I'm going to play around with a plain recipe to see just how much leeway you have by adding new ingredients... by the handful. Should be interesting.

*Baked oatmeal muffins today. Added a good handful of walnuts to the batter. (Recipe is above.) I have to control the sugar, so feel free to add more if you want a sweeter muffin!

*Picked up some red bran instead of the usual stuff. Apparently there are a lot more nutrients in this variety.

Found the following banana muffin recipe using a banana cake mix instead of real bananas. Apparently you don't need bananas for these muffins. Good idea if you don't have any handy! Recipe is above... called Duncan Hines Banana Muffins!