Muffins

Muffins
Dry Ingredients
2 1/4c. All-purpose flour (303g/11oz)
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
pinch of salt (literally, stick your fingers in the salt container, pinch, and toss it in!)

Wet Ingredients
1/2 c. granulated sugar (always a "wet" ingredient)
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
1 cup plain yogurt (8oz container)

Etc. . . 
1-2 cups of add in stuff (blueberries pictured above.)
1 tsp - 1 Tbs of spice


Mix (sift if you can) the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Whisk the wet ingredients together. It will be pretty thick. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix just until everything comes together. DO NOT MIX THIS SMOOTH. Spoon batter into greased or lined muffin tins. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until it passes the toothpick check.

Yield: 12 standard muffins


NOTES: ('cause you know there have to be notes. . . )

• This recipe comes almost directly from Alton Brown who is one of my favorite cooks and the inspiration for many a date night for Burke and me. 

• In the words of AB, "This is an all-purpose formula that can take anything from berries to chocolate chips." Which is why the recipe is vaguely titled "muffins."  It's a fantastic base recipe! I've done blueberry muffins. I've done apple muffins (1/2 whole wheat flour, chopped apples, 1Tbs cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, sprinkled with sugar on top). I've done chocolatey chocolate chip muffins (1/2 c. cocoa powder, 1 c. choc chips, 1 tsp vanilla). I've done healthier muffins (All whole wheat pastry flour, equal parts chopped apples and shredded carrots, a sprinkle of flax seed, 1/4-1/2 c. chopped raisins, craisins or other dried fruit). I'm considering playing around with zucchini next. You can just run wild!

• Do not substitute anything for the yogurt. Just use the yogurt. 

• Do not over-mix! I can't stress this enough! Never ever ever mix muffins in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer. You just need the ingredients, a bowl, a spoon (I use wooden) and a teensy bit of elbow grease. Maybe 30-40 stirs is all. The batter should be lumpy. Mine always has spots of unmixed flour in it and that's okay. They'll work themselves in during the scooping and baking. So, for the love of muffins, be gentle with this batter!

• I know the recipe says 18-20 minutes, but I usually start checking around 12 or 14 minutes and they're always done by 15 minutes. Overcooking is a super quick way to get dry icky muffins. As soon as the toothpick is clean, get 'em out of there!

• Tip the muffin tin on the side as soon as you pull them out of the oven. This releases the steam in the bottom and keeps them from getting soggy bottoms. Notice there is no cooling direction. As soon as you can handle them without having to treat your fingers for burns, eat them! If the butter doesn't melt as soon as it hits your muffin you've let them sit too long!