How to Prepare Some Muffins
To begin, preheat the oven to 400°F. The muffins should be baked for 15 to 20 minutes to achieve a perfect texture and an attractive golden color.
For the muffin base, use between 2 and 2 1/2 cups of white flour. If you prefer to vary it, you can substitute up to 1 cup of that flour with oats, cornmeal, whole wheat flour, rye flour, or flaked cereals. It is also possible to use 1 cup of leftover cooked oats, rice, or cornmeal, but in this case, you should reduce the white flour to 1/2 cup and decrease the liquid to 1/2 cup.
For the liquid, use 1 cup of milk. As an alternative, you can replace it with buttermilk, watered-down milk, or fruit juice, according to your preference or availability.
For the fat, include 1/4 cup of vegetable oil or 4 tablespoons of melted butter or margarine. If you wish to experiment, you can substitute part or all of the fat with regular or chunky peanut butter. Keep in mind that if you use a "wet addition," the fat can be reduced or even omitted with good results.
Use one egg to give consistency to the mixture. If you prefer a vegan or egg-free option, substitute it with 1 heaping tablespoon of soy flour mixed with 1 tablespoon of water. If you have chosen to use a cooked grain, separate the egg: add the yolk to the mixture and beat the white until stiff, then gently fold it in.
To sweeten, use between 2 tablespoons and 1/2 cup of sugar. Alternatively, you can use up to 3/4 cup of brown sugar or up to 1/2 cup of honey or molasses, in which case you should reduce the milk to 3/4 cup.
Add 2 teaspoons of baking powder. If you use whole grains, cooked grains, or more than 1 cup of additions, increase the amount to 3 teaspoons. If you use buttermilk or sour milk, reduce the baking powder to 1 teaspoon and add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda.
Incorporate 1/2 teaspoon of salt, unless you are on a sodium-restricted diet, in which case you can omit it.
Additional ingredients are optional and can be of three types: dry such as nuts, sunflower seeds, raisins, or coconut; wet such as blueberries, chopped apple, zucchini, or grated carrot; and moist, which include purees of pumpkin, apple, potato, banana, or carrot. You can freely combine them up to a total of 1 1/2 cups. If you use more than 1 cup of wet ingredients, decrease the milk to 1/2 cup.
If you decide to add drained canned fruit or thawed grated zucchini, substitute the syrup or zucchini liquid for all or part of the milk.
To add an aromatic touch, include spices that complement the additions, such as 1 teaspoon of cinnamon accompanied by 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg or cloves. You can also try 2 teaspoons of orange or lemon zest.
If you like jams, fill the molds halfway with a simple batter, add 1 teaspoon of jam or jelly, and finish covering with 2 more tablespoons of batter.
For non-sweet options, reduce the sugar to 2 tablespoons and omit the fruit. Add combinations such as 1/2 cup of grated cheese, 2 strips of fried and crumbled bacon, 2 tablespoons of grated onion, 1/2 cup of grated zucchini, and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese. Suggested spices are parsley, marjoram, or rosemary.
Among the special recipes, Hawaiian muffins stand out, which include 1/2 cup of mashed banana, 1/2 cup of drained crushed pineapple, 1/2 cup of flaked coconut, and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract or rum. In this variation, use the pineapple juice instead of the milk.
Other options are vanilla chip cherry muffins, which include 3/4 cup of pitted and chopped cherries, 3/4 cup of vanilla chips, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla, or Elvis muffins, made with approximately 3/4 to 1 cup of mashed banana, 1/2 cup of chopped peanuts or nuts, and 1/4 cup of peanut butter replacing the oil.
