Basic Muffins

For breakfast I made apricot muffins-- just the basic recipe and then put one dried apricot into the batter in each muffin cup before baking it. I think this is my favorite. But this recipe is so versatile, you can do anything with it. I try to double the batch in hopes to have extra for freezing for another breakfast-- but everyone eats so much, I think there were 5 muffins left this morning-- and I made 24!!

Muffins
2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. milk
1/4 c. oil
1 egg
up to 1 1/2 c. additions

Mix thoroughly and pour into greased or papered muffin tins. Bake 15 to 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Makes 12 muffins

Ideas:

Flour- white, whole wheat, or substitute 1 c. oatmeal, cornmeal, rye, cereal, or cooked oatmeal, rice or cornmeal and decrease liquid to 1/2 c.

Sugar- use between 2 Tb and 1/2 c. sugar, brown sugar, molasses or honey (with the last 2 decrease milk to 3/4 c.)

Baking Powder- if using whole or cooked grains increase to 3 ts. if youing buttermilk or sour milk, decrease to 1 tsp. and add 1/2 tsp. baking soda

Milk-Regular milk, reconstituted milk (powdered milk mixed with water), buttermilk or sour milk, fruit juice

Oil-1/4 oil of any kind or 4 Tb melted butter or margarine. Or use peanut butter or applesauce.

Egg-if out of egg, you can use a spoonful of mayonaise

Additions-Nuts, sunflower seeds, raisins, craisins, coconut, blueberries, chopped apple, shredded zucchini, shredded carot, pumpkin, applesauce, cooked sweet potato, mashed banana, mashed cooked carrots. (when using wet additions decrease the milk a bit- example: grated zucchini is really moist, you could just replace the milk with the zucchini or just keep the milk to 1/2 c.)

Spices-When I put in apple, I also add 1 tsp. cinnamon, you can use whatever you think will compliment your additions- ginger, nutmeg, lemon zest, etc.

"Surprise muffins" fill cups 1/2 full with batter, put in a tsp of jam or jelly and then fill the cups the rest of the way with batter.