Basic muffin batter recipe by Art Eats Bakery

Art Eats Bakery, Greenville,SC http://www.arteatsbakery.com
Basic muffins
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
Instructions:Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add egg, milk and oil to dry ingredients. Stir until just moistened. Do not over mix. Grease or line muffin tins with paper baking cups. Fill about 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees F/200 degrees C for about 20-25 minutes. Makes 10-12 muffins.
VARIATIONS: Changing the recipe to add things that that you and your family really like is the fun part! You can add ingredients this recipe to make hundreds of different variations. How about blueberries in the batter with cinnamon topping? Maybe peanut butter chips in the batter and jelly as a topping? Find an add-in or a topping you like from the lists below, and you're on your way to creating an original muffin all your own. Maybe you would like a flavoring and a topping? How about just an add-in? The choice is yours. The basic muffin is not vaery sweet, so it lends itself to change well.
ADD-INS
SWEET (I always add a teaspoon of real vanilla when making one of the sweet varieties):
1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 tsp. cinnimon swirled in the batter and spinkled on top
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
1 cup chopped dried apricots
1 cup chopped, peeled apples
3/4 cup chopped dates
1 cup mashed banana
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup pecans, walnuts or almonds
1 cup flaked coconut
2 tbsp. poppy seeds
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter chips
1 cup raisins
1 cup shredded carrot
1 cup drained canned pineapple

SAVORY:
1 can chopped green chiles,
drained Small can of whole kernel corn, drained
1 cup grated cheese (Cheddar, Muenster, Swiss, Monterey Jack)
1/2 cup cooked, crumbled bacon
1/2 cup chopped green onions

FLAVORINGS:
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
Replace the milk in the recipe with pineapple juice or apple juice
1 tsp. finely grated orange zest
1 1/2 tsp. pure orange extract

TOPPINGS
SWEET:
Add 1 teaspoon of your favorite jelly to top of each muffin before baking
Finely chopped nuts
Cinnamon Granola
Brown sugar

SAVORY: Crumbled bacon
Grated cheese
Sunflower seeds
Tips to help you make the perfect muffin: Don't over-mix! Stir the batter until the dry ingredients are just moist. The batter should be lumpy. Over-mixing will result in a tough muffin. Make sure to grease the muffing tins or use paper baking cups. This is especially important if you're baking a low-fat recipe which tends to stick. Remove muffins from tins as soon as you take them out of the oven. Remove the paper liners as soon as the muffin is cool enough to handle to prevent sticking as well. Muffins are best when they're hot out of the oven. If you're not using a topping, you can brush the tops of each muffin with melted butter, if desired, to give a nice appearance.
Art Eats Bakery, Greenville, SC http://www.arteatsbakery.com