Recipe: Muffin Mix, Melt In Your Mouth Muffins with Varations and Zucchini Muffins

MUFFIN MIX
Adapted from Make-A-Mix

8 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups sugar
3 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix well. Put in a large airtight container. Label with date and contents. Store in a cool, dry place. Use within 6 to 8 months.

Makes about 11 cups of Muffin Mix, enough for 4 batches of muffins.

Use Muffin Mix to make Melt-in-Your-Mouth Muffins and Zucchini Muffins.

(The original recipe contained 2 tsp. of ground nutmeg. -jlw)

MELT-IN-YOUR-MOUTH MUFFINS
Adapted from Make-A-Mix
Makes 12 muffins

2 3/4 cups Muffin Mix
1 egg -- beaten
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter or margarine -- melted
or 1/2 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400F. Spray muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Put Muffin Mix in a medium bowl. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine egg, milk and butter. Add all at once to Muffin Mix. Stir until mix is just moistened; batter should be lumpy.

Fill prepared muffin pan 3/4 full. Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown. Place pan on wire rack for 5 minutes; remove muffins from pan and serve immediately, or place on wire rack to cool. These muffins freeze well.

VARIATIONS:

Cappuccino Chip Muffins: Add 1 tsp. ground cinnamon and 1 tbsp. Espresso powder to dry ingredients. Add 1 tsp. vanilla extract to wet ingredients. Add 3/4 cup semisweet mini morsels to batter.

Banana Muffins: Add 2 tbsp. banana powder (optional) and 1/2 cup chopped pecans to dry ingredients. Mash 1 banana (approx. 1/2 cup) and add to wet ingredients along with 1 tsp. vanilla extract.

Butterscotch-Pecan Muffins: Combine 6 tbsp. melted butter with 6 tbsp. Brown sugar. Place 1 tbsp. of brown sugar mixture and 2 to 3 pecan halves in the bottom of each muffin cup. Fill cups 3/4 full with batter.

Cranberry-Nut Muffins: Gently fold 1 cup chopped fresh or frozen cranberries, 1/2 cup chopped nuts and 3 tbsp. sugar into basic muffin batter just before filling muffin pan.

Blueberry Muffins: Gently fold 1 cup fresh, frozen or drained canned blueberries into basic muffin batter before filling muffin pan.

Fresh Peach Muffins: Gently fold 1 cup diced fresh peaches into batter before filling muffin pan.

Dried Fruit Muffins: Add 1 cup chopped dried fruit (apricots, cherries, peaches, blueberries, pineapple, strawberries) to liquid ingredients.

Cornmeal Muffins: Decrease Muffin Mix to 2-1/4 cups. Add 1/2 cup cornmeal.

(The original recipe made 10 large muffins, and was baked 18 to 20 minutes. I created the Cappuccino Chip Muffin variation based upon another muffin recipe. I added banana powder and chopped pecans to the Banana Muffin variation. -jlw)

ZUCCHINI MUFFINS
Recipe By : Make-A-Mix
Makes 10 medium muffins

2 cups Muffin Mix
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup grated zucchini
1 egg -- beaten
1/2 cup butter -- melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400 F. Spray muffin pan with nonstick muffin spray.

In a medium bowl, combine Muffin Mix, sugar, nuts and cinnamon. In a separate bowl or measuring cup, combine zucchini, egg, butter and vanilla. Add all at once to dry ingredients. Stir until just moistened; batter should be lumpy.

Fill prepared muffin pan 3/4 full. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Source: JW, 1997