Basic muffin recipe

As part of my how-to collection, this handy recipe is a good starting point when you already have the muffin idea in your mind, but just need the recipe.

Banana and passionfruit muffins made from this basic muffin recipe

I always like to have food with me.  I’m one of those people who slip very quickly into grumpy-dom if I don’t eat constantly. I go from chirpy-Aimee, to evil-Aimee in a blood-sugar dropping minute.

This is why I have so many recipes. I need a range of food to last me until I’m safely back in my kitchen and pantry full of food. Today, for example, I have some cherry ripe slice and a feta and spinach muffin (amongst other things).

So every week I say ‘what muffins shall we have this week?’ the answer from my house is consistently ‘raspberry and white chocolate’. Which is lovely, but variety is the spice of life and all that. So when I look in the cupboard and see…. say…. a tin of passionfruit pulp and some old bananas, or a few apples and packet of white chocolate chips – this old favourite comes out.

Over to you – adapt away my pretties!

Ingredients
2 cups self raising flour (or 2 cups plain flour with 2 teaspoons of baking soda added)
1/4 – 1/2 cup olive/vegetable oil (or, 1/4 cup oil, 1/4 plain, non-fat natural yoghurt)
3/4 cup milk
1/2 – 3/4 cup caster sugar (alter depending on how sweet you choice of flavourings are)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
150 grams added flavour, e.g. frozen raspberries, dark/milk choc chips, grated apple, mashed banana and passionfruit (as in pic above) etc.

Method
Don’t forget the how-to make muffns post if you want some step-by-step instructions.

1. Preheat oven to 180 C. Grease a 12 cup muffin tin or line with patty cases and spray with cooking oil.
2. Mix all dry ingredients together and make a well. Add all wet ingredients and pour into well. Add your choice of flavourings and mix well until just combined. Over mixing will toughen the muffins. It’s OK if you have the occasional flour pocket, muffins are meant to be rough.
3. Spoon in to your prepared muffin tray and bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Do: get experimental. Switch out the white sugar for brown sugar or honey for different flavours. Substitute the flour for whole wheat flour. Let me know what works and what doesn’t.

Healthy? Obviously this depends what flavours you add, but this basic recipe made with 1/4 cup of oil and 1/4 natural yoghurt is 154 calories a muffin

Gluten free: I haven’t tried adapting this recipe, I will endeavour to make a basic GF muffin soon.

Storage: They freeze well, otherwise best eaten within a couple of days. Store in airtight container.

Modified from Kim’s Moist Muffins on bestrecipe.com.au