Master Muffin recipe

Are you in a breakfast rut? Need a little inspiration? Time for something new? How about baking your own muffins! I got this Basic muffin recipe from The Tightwad Gazette, and you can adjust it for your tastes, what you have in the house and what you want to have each time you make them!  I like this recipe because you can tweak it and adjust it and it still comes out well!

YUM-- blueberry muffins!

MASTER BREAKFAST MUFFIN RECIPE       from The Tightwad Gazette II

Makes 12 muffins, and is easy to double--saves time and energy. Combine dry ingredients, then mix in wet ingredients just until combined, batter should be lumpy. Grease muffin tin and fill cups two-thirds full. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes (give or take five minutes). 

Following ingredients are required:

Grain: Use 2- 2 1/2 cups white flour. Or substitute oatmeal, cornmeal, whole-wheat flour, rye flour or flake cereal for 1 cup of the white flour. Or substitute one cup leftover cooked oatmeal, cornmeal, rice for 1/2 cup of the white flour, and decrease liquid to 1/2 cup.

Sweetener: Use between 2 Tbsp and 1/2 cup sugar. Or subs up to 3/4 cup brown sugar. Or subs up to 1/2 cup honey or molasses, and decrease milk to 1/2 cup.

Baking Powder: Use 2 teaspoons. If using whole or cooked grains or more than one cup of additions, increase to 3 teaspoons. If using butter 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. 

Milk:  Use one cup. Or substitute buttermilk or sour milk (add Tbsp vinegar to 1 cup milk). Or substitute fruit juice for some or all of the milk.

Fat: Use 1/4 cup vegetable oil or 4 Tbsp melted margarine or butter. Or substitute crunchy or regular peanut butter for part or 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 Tbsp of soy flour & 1 Tbsp of water. If using a cooked grain, separate the egg, add the yolk to the batter, beat the white until stiff and fold into the batter.

OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS:

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, and so on.

Moist additions: Blueberries, chopped apple, 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, subs the syrup or zucchini liquid for all or part of the milk.

Spices: Use spices that complement 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 w/ plain batter. Add 1 tsp jam/ jelly, top with 2 more tsp batter.

Topping: Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on the batter in the tins.

Nonsweet combinations: Use only 2 Tbsp sugar and no fruit. Add combinations of the following: 1/2 cup shredded cheese, 3 strips fried and crumbled bacon, 2 Tbsp grated onion, 1/2 cup shredded zucchini, 2 Tbsp parmesan cheese. Spices could contain a tsp of parsley and a pinch of marjoram.

Basic recipe:

2 to 2 1/2 cups grain

1 cup milk

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

-Make a hearty breakfast or snack, can freeze...costs less than cold cereal! Serve with milk or juice!

We've had them several different ways- the jam/ jelly in it is yummy! Let me know if you try it!
You can read another post about  The Tightwad Gazette here.