Basic Muffin Batter (and Variations)

Total Time: 30 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 1 (1/2 cup) butter or 1 (1/2 cup) margarine, at room temp
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour or 2 1/2 cups freshly ground soft wheat flour or 2 1/2 cups oat flour
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

Recipe

• 1 get out the additional ingredients for the variation you have chosen.
• 2 heat oven to 375°f; grease 12 regular or 24 mini-muffin cups.
• 3 in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, baking powder and salt until pale and fluffy.
• 4 beat in eggs.
• 5 gently stir (fold) flour in alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour until well blended.
• 6 follow the directions for the variation you've chosen and divide the batter among the muffin cups.
• 7 bake 17 to 20 minutes for regular size, or 14 to 16 minute for mini muffins, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• 8 cool in pan for 5 minutes, then remove and cool completely on wire rack.
• 9 chocolate cinnamon**:.
• 10 add 1 teaspoons cinnamon to flour in basic batter. stir in 1 cup melted semi- sweet chocolate chips after flour. divide among muffin cups.
• 11 cut up 4 ounces light cream cheese and press into batter. sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar mixed with ½ teaspoons cinnamon. bake as above.
• 12 apple almond:.
• 13 crumble 1 can (8 oz.) or 1 roll (7 oz.) almond paste on top of basic batter and stir in with 1 cup chopped apple. divide among muffin cups and top each with 2 thin slices apple (or 1 slice halves for minis).
• 14 bake as above. brush tops with 2 tablespoons warmed honey.
• 15 pumpkin struesel:**.
• 16 mix 2/3 cup solid-pack pumpkin, ¼ cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons molasses, and 1 teaspoons pumpkin-pie spice into basic batter. divide among muffin cups. top with crumbly mix of 3 tablespoons cold butter, 1/3 cup flour, 3 tablespoons brown sugar and 1/3 cup chopped pecans. bake as above.
• 17 cranberry upside down**:.
• 18 thoroughly grease muffin cups (do not line). mix ¾ cup whole-berry cranberry sauce, ¼ cup chopped pecans, 2 tablespoons sugar and ¼ teaspoons nutmeg.
• 19 divide among muffin cups. press 1 pecan half into center. spread basic batter gently over cranberries. bake as above. cool in pan 15 minutes.
• 20 cranberry:**.
• 21 mix ¾ cup whole-berry cranberry sauce, ¼ cup chopped pecans, 2 tablespoons sugar and ¾ teaspoons nutmeg into basic batter. bake as above.
• 22 spicy mincemeat:.
• 23 stir 1 cup mincemeat and ¼ teaspoons allspice into basic batter. divide among muffin cups. bake as above.