Easy Muffins

 

I have been interested in food and cooking for all of my life.  When I was a child my mother would give me her old magazines and I would clip recipes from out of them. My mother was not someone who tolerated little hands messing up her kitchen, so I never really got to try any of them.

We could watch, but from afar.  Actually touching anything was forbidden. I think she was just really afraid we would hurt ourselves. One time I burnt my left hand very badly. We had solid electric burners on our stove.  I was getting up to sit on the garbage can to watch her and I put my full hand and my weight down onto my left hand  on the burner which had just been shut off.

The whole palm of my hand was very badly burnt. I can remember to this day how badly it felt. I was only five years old. I am sure this went a lot way towards her not wanting us in the kitchen. She sewed a little cotton bag with a drawstring top for me to wear on my hand when I was allowed back to school.

 

 

Anyways, I have always been collecting recipes.  Recipes from magazines.  Recipes from cookbooks I would take out from the local library.  Recipes gifted to me by friends. Family recipes, etc.

I had a huge collection of cookbooks in the UK, amassed over years and years of collecting. I left them all behind when I came back to Canada, with the mistaken idea that it was cheaper to replace them here.  Actually some of them were irreplaceable, which I have found out.

All of the recipes I collected were put into my Big Blue Binder, which is a huge vinyl binder which has travelled all the way across Canada and back, and now across the ocean and back with me.

I used to love to buy Woman's Day and Family Circle, mostly for the recipes.  In the Woman's Day magazine they would have a pull out section every month called The Collector's Cookbook.  I collected quite a few of those.

This muffin recipe I am sharing with you today comes from this pull out from a Woman's Day magazine published in October of 1973.

I had never made these before. I am not sure why. The recipe actually used very few ingredients, one of which is Buttermilk Baking mix, like the one I have pictured above.  

This is the one I used. I pick it up in small packages at our local Giant Tiger store for a fairly reasonable price.   If you are in the UK, you will not be able to find this type of thing, or at least you couldn't when I lived there just a few years ago.

I did find a recipe online where you can make your own Buttermilk Baking Mix here on the Hill Billy Housewife.  It does require Buttermilk powder.  You can buy buttermilk powder here, but I warn you it is very expensive. 

It is possible to make your own Homemade Baking Mix.  I am pretty sure it would work as well as the Buttermilk Baking Mix.  Here is my recipe for making it from scratch. It does come in handy for all sorts.

*Homemade Baking Mix*

Makes 24 servings

Printable Recipe

This is  mix which comes in really handy to have in the cupboard, ready to use for making muffins, pancakes and all sorts.

1260g of plain flour (9  cups)

245g milk powder (1 cup)

5 TBS baking powder

50g white sugar (1/4 cup)

1 TBS salt

220g white vegetable shortening (1 cup) (Trex or Crisco)

Whisk flour, dry milk powder, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. Cut shortening into dry ingredients with a pastry cutter, about 1/2 cup at a time, until mixture resembles cornmeal. Store in an air-tight container for up to 3 months.

To make biscuits/scones: Measure 260g (2 cups) of the mix into a bowl.  Stir in 180ml buttermilk (3/4 cup) with a fork, Pat out, cut into circles and bake in a 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 7 oven for about 10 minutes.  Makes six large biscuits (scones).

To make Pancakes:  Measure 260g (2 cups) of the mix into a bowl. Whisk in 3 TBS sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, 2 TBS vegetable oil and 2 eggs.  Whisk together until smooth.  Cook as per regular pancakes on a greased griddle.  Drop 1/4 cupful at a time onto hot greased griddle.  Cook until the edges are dry, flip and cook until golden.  Makes about 14.

To make Waffles:  Measure 260g (2 cups) of the mix into a bowl.  Beat together with 310ml milk (1 1/3 cups), 2 TBS vegetable oil and 1 egg.  Pour into centre of hot greased waffle maker.  Close lid.  Bake about 5  minutes or until steaming stops.  Remove with a fork and keep warm.  Makes about 12.

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE EASY MUFFINS

You really only need four simple ingredients. I usually always have these things in the house.

• 1 cup (130g) buttermilk baking mix
• 3 TBS granulated sugar
• 1 large free range egg
• 1/3 cup (80ml) cold water

 

HOW TO MAKE EASY MUFFINS 

They really couldn't be easier to make. These are perfect for when you want to bake up a small batch of muffins at the last minute.  There are also variations on the printable recipe to  make date or nut muffins, or corn muffins. 

Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Butter a six cup medium sized muffin tin/pan really well. Set aside.

Measure the baking mix, sugar, egg and water into a bowl. Beat vigorously with a spoon for 1/2 minute. Divide between the muffin cups.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown and risen. A toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean.

VARIATIONS:

Nut or Date Muffins: Add 1/4 cup of chopped nuts or dated to the batter before putting in the pans.

Corn Muffins: Melt 2 TBS butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add 1/2 cup each buttermilk baking mix (65g), 1/2 cup white or yellow cornmeal (80g), 2 TBS sugar, 1 large free range egg, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/3 cup (80ml) water. Mix well, then beat 1/2 minute. Bake as directed above.

 

I was really impressed with the ease at which these muffins went together.  Like I said, I have had this recipe since 1973 and this was the first time I have cooked it.  I can tell you, it won't be the last!

They were a nice size, not too big and had a beautiful texture.  The perfect muffin texture. I did the date version and added chopped Medjool dates to mine.  They were delicious!

If you would like to make muffins completely from scratch, there is no shortage of delicious muffins here in The English Kitchen. Some you might enjoy are:

FOUR PERFECT BLUEBERRY MUFFINS:  This recipe makes only four of the most perfect, deliciously delectable blueberry muffins. With a lovely tender and moist crumb and plenty of blueberries, these always go down a real treat and I love that there are not tons of  muffins to use up at the end of the day.

ULTIMATE BUTTERMILK BRAN MUFFINS: Of all the muffins that I bake Bran Muffins are my favorites, being filled with fiber and somewhat healthy. This particularly nice version uses buttermilk which makes for a really lovely and moist muffin with a slightly tangy flavor. With two types of bran they are light and delicious! 

Yield: 6 medium muffins

Author: Marie Rayner

Easy Muffins

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 18 MinTotal time: 23 Min

With only four basic ingredients, these really are easy muffins to make. Variations are in the recipe notes. Moist and delicious!

Ingredients

• 1 cup (130g) buttermilk baking mix
• 3 TBS granulated sugar
• 1 large free range egg
• 1/3 cup (80ml) cold water

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Butter a six cup medium sized muffin tin/pan really well. Set aside.
2. Measure the baking mix, sugar, egg and water into a bowl. Beat vigorously with a spoon for 1/2 minute. Divide between the muffin cups.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown and risen. A toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean.

Notes

VARIATIONS:

Nut or Date Muffins: Add 1/4 cup of chopped nuts or dated to the batter before putting in the pans.

Corn Muffins: Melt 2 TBS butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add 1/2 cup each buttermilk baking mix (65g), 1/2 cup white or yellow cornmeal (80g), 2 TBS sugar, 1 large free range egg, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/3 cup (80ml) water. Mix well, then beat 1/2 minute. Bake as directed above.

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