Ingredients:
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup of milk
- 1⁄2 cup of sugar
- 1 tablespoon of baking powder
- 1⁄4 teaspoon of salt
- 2 cups of flour
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line the wells (12) of a standard-size muffin pan with baking paper liners.
- Pour the melted butter into a mixing bowl; whisk in the egg until thoroughly blended and then whisk in the milk. (At this point, you would also mix in additions such as lemon zest and/or vanilla or almond extract.) Whisk in the sugar.
- Add the baking powder, salt and one-third of the flour, whisking until completely incorporated. Whisk in another third of the flour. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the last of the flour to form a thick, mostly smooth batter. Gently fold in any add-ins to the batter, if using, such as blueberries and chocolate chips.
- Distribute the batter evenly among the wells. (A No. 16 disher makes quick work of this, or you can use a 1/4-cup measure.) Bake (middle rack) for about 20 minutes, until the muffins have risen well and are golden; the tip of a sharp knife inserted into the center of one should come out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool (in the pan) briefly if serving right away, or cool completely if storing.
- VARIATIONS: For blueberry muffins, add 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest to the liquids. After mixing the batter, fold in 1 1/2 cups rinsed, dried and picked-over (or frozen) blueberries. Use 2 tablespoons of sugar mixed with 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon to sprinkle over the tops of the muffins before baking.
- For lemon poppy seed muffins, add 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest to the liquids. Mix in 2 tablespoons poppy seeds after the last addition of flour.
- For chocolate chip muffins, add 2 teaspoons vanilla extract to the liquids. After mixing the batter, fold in 1 cup of your choice of chocolate chips. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with sugar (2 tablespoons total) before baking.
- To make old-fashioned jam muffins, add 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest to the liquids. Fill the paper liners in the pan halfway with batter and dollop about a teaspoon of your favorite jam or preserves in the center. Add the rest of the batter, being careful to cover the jam completely.