Muffins

This is a very basic recipe...which gives you LOTS of options! Depending on what kind of flour you use, what kind of sweetener, what kind(s) of fruit and/or nuts you add, spices...

...bran flour and molasses with raisins
...wheat flour and honey with diced apple & cinnamon
...white flour and corn syrup with black berries (pictured!)
...endless combinations!

1 egg
1/4 C oil
1/3 C honey, molasses or corn syrup
1 C milk
2 C flour (white, wheat, bran...)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 C fruit, nuts, etc.
spice(s) - optional as desired

Preheat oven to 400*.

Combine egg, oil, honey/molasses/syrup and milk. Add dry ingredients, all at once; don't overwork the batter. (You can add a little extra milk if needed, some flours are more 'absorbent' than others, molasses is thicker than some honeys; it should be like a pancake or slightly thick cake batter.) Gently fold in fruit, nuts or raisins. Pour or spoon into muffin tins. Bake 20-25 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes in muffin tins before transferring to a cooling rack.

Makes 12 muffins.

If you really want to get creative, sprinkle on a little raw sugar or a crumble topping just before baking: mix some brown sugar and cinnamon with a little butter and oats; OR add a thin flavored glaze once they've cooled: blueberry muffins with a powdered sugar and lemon glaze, cranberry muffins with orange glaze, or a maple glaze over a spiced, nutty muffin...