Choose Your Own Adventure Muffins
We love this recipe because it is a basic guideline to make any flavor of muffins you like. It's also a great way to use up some random ingredients you might have in your pantry or refrigerator.
2-2-1/2 Cups Grain
1 Cup Milk (or other liquid)
Up to 1/4 Cup Fat
1 Egg
Up to 1/2 Cup Sweetener
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
Up to 1-1/2 Cups Additions
PREPARATION
Quantities listed are for a single batch of 12 muffins. To make muffins, combine dry ingredients, and then mix in wet ingredients until just combined. the batter should be lumpy. Grease muffin tin and fill cups two thirds full. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 F (200 C) degrees for approximately 20 minutes.
Grain: Use 2 to 2-1/2 cups of white flour. Or substitute oatmeal, cornmeal, whole-wheat flour, rye flour or flake cereal for 1 cup of the white flour. Or substitute 1 cup leftover cooked oatmeal, rice or cornmeal for 1/2 cup of white flour and decrease liquid to 1/2 cup.
Milk: Use 1 cup. Or substitute buttermilk or sour milk (add a teaspoon of vinegar to 1 cup milk). Or substitute fruit juice for part or all of the milk.
Fat: Use 1/4 cup of vegetable oil or 4 tsp. melted butter or margarine. Or substitute crunchy or regular peanut butter for part of all of the fat. The fat can be reduced or omitted with fair results if using a wet addition.
Egg: Use 1 egg. Or substitute 1 heaping tsp. of soy flour and 1 tsp. of water. If using a cooked grain, separate the egg, add the yolk to the batter, beat the white until stiff, and fold into batter.
Sweetener: Use between 2 tsp. and 1/2 cup sugar. Or substitute up to 3/4 cup brown sugar. Or substitute up to 1/2 cup honey or molasses, and decrease milk to 3/4 cup.
Baking Powder: Use 2 tsp. If using whole or cooked grains or more than 1 cup of additions, increase to 3 tsp. If using buttermilk or sour milk, decrease to 1 tsp. and add 1/2 tsp baking soda.
Salt: Use 1/2 tsp or omit if you have a salt restricted diet. The following ingredients are optional. Additions can be used in any combination, up to 1 1/2 cups total. If using more than 1 cup of wet additions decrease the milk to 1/2 cup.
Dry Additions: Nuts, sunflower seeds, raisins, coconut, etc.
Moist Additions: Blueberries, chopped apples, freshly shredded zucchini, shredded carrot, etc.
Wet Additions: Pumpkin puree, applesauce, mashed cooked sweet potato, mashed banana, mashed cooked carrot, etc. If using 1/2 cup drained, canned fruit or thawed shredded zucchini, substitute the syrup or zucchini liquid for all or part of the milk.
Spices: Use spices that compliment the additions such as 1 tsp cinnamon with 1/4 tsp nutmeg or cloves. Try 2 tsp grated orange or lemon peel.
Jellies and Jam: Fill cups half full with plain batter. Add 1 tsp jam or jelly and top with 2 more tsp batter.
Non-Sweet Combinations: Use only 2 tsp sugar and no fruit. Add combinations of the following: 1/2 cup shredded cheese, 2 tsp grated onion, 1/2 cup shredded zucchini, 2 tsp parmesan cheese.