Master Method for Muffins from Scratch

Master Method for Muffins from Scratch

This Master Method for Muffins from Scratch is a basic formula that you can use to create the muffin of your dreams. Learn how to make muffins with the ingredients you have on hand. 

Muffins from scratch — secrets to making it work with what you have on hand

Welcome to Day 6 of the 30 Days of Cooking from Scratch Challenge.  All those of you following along can find more posts by searching for the tag: #30fromscratch.  There’s a Pinterest board, too.

Today we are talking about Muffins because they are quick to make with what you have on hand.  They don’t take a lot of expert skills in the kitchen.  A few caveat’s and you will be successful every time.  I’m not just giving you a recipe, but a method to create your own recipes.  Remember how our foremothers were so comfortable in the kitchen.  That was because they learned basic principles of cooking and then improvised their way through their menus, based on what they had on hand.  Now you can approach cooking from scratch in the same way.

Muffins are easy to make for breakfast, snacks, or dessert.  They are a quick bread and classed as a thick drop batter.  You can grab a recipe to make it work for you, or you can improvise with what you have on hand.  Let’s look at the principles behind successful muffins from scratch.

Thick Drop Batters are made from:

Thick or drop batters – muffins

1 cup of liquid

2 cups soft wheat flour

Cake batters are made from:

Cake batters

1 cup

1 ½ cup soft wheat flour

 

A good muffin batter fits between a drop batter and a cake batter, depending on how chewy or dry you prefer your muffins.  This batter leans toward the cake batter consistency.  If you prefer a chewier muffin, add 1/2 a cup more flour to the recipe.

Joybilee Farm Master Method for Muffins from scratch

So let’s look at a basic formula that you can use to create the muffin of your dreams.

Preheat oven to 350F

 

Liquid ingredients (pick 1 ingredient from each row):

1 cup of milk, water, fruit juice, buttermilk, sour milk, espresso, vegetable liquid, kefir, kombucha, or whey (or a combination)

1 or 2 eggs, or 2 – 4 tbsp. flax jelly, well beaten

2 tbsp. melted butter, or coconut oil or olive oil, or cold pressed nut oil,

1/2 cup of grated carrots, grated zucchini, apple sauce, pureed pumpkin, yogurt, or cottage cheese,  (optional)

2 tbsp. sugar, honey, maple syrup

 

Dry ingredients (Pick 1 ingredient from each row):

1 cup. all purpose, whole wheat, cake, or pastry flour (soft wheat flours are preferred)

1/4 cup oatmeal or bran or cooked rice, or cooked quinoa

1 T. baking powder (or 1 t. baking soda and 1 tbsp. of vinegar added to fresh milk before mixing)

1/2 t. Celtic salt or Himalayan salt

 

Spices and flavouring (pick only 1):

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. ginger, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg (apple pie spice)

1/4 tsp. cayenne, 1/2 tsp. turmeric, 1/4 tsp. ginger, 1/4 tsp. cardamon (chai spice)

2 tbsp. cocoa powder plus 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. instant coffee

1/2 tsp. parsley, 1/4 tsp. dried onion (omit the sugar)

(The possibilities are endless.)

 

Filling Ingredients

(For a total of 1 cup of filling):

1/2 cup chopped nuts or seeds like sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, chopped almonds, chopped cashews, chopped filbert, chocolate chips, raw chocolate nibs

1/2 cup dried fruit like raisin, cranberries, apples cut into small pieces, pears snipped into small pieces, dried pineapple, dried mango, etc.

or

1 cup of fresh fruit like rhubarb, strawberries, apples, pineapple etc. cut into small pieces, plus 1/4 c to 1/2 c additional flour

or

1/2 cup. grated cheese

1/2 cup. cooked, chopped bacon (omit the sugar)

or

1/2 cup. sundried tomatoes (omit the sugar)

2 tbsp. roasted garlic, mashed well

(The possibilities are endless.)

 

Topping (pick 1 only):

Add before baking:

1/2 cup. sliced or chopped nuts

or

Streusel (oatmeal, brown sugar, 1 tbsp. flour, 2 tbsp. cold butter, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon– mix together using your hands)

or

Mini Marshmallows

 

Or Add after Baking:

Chocolate chips

or

1 tbsp. Lemon juice and 1 tbsp. sugar or honey (equal parts, brushed on muffins when they come out of the oven)

or

Square of dark chocolate from a chocolate bar

 

Method for “Muffins from Scratch”

Combine the 5 liquid ingredients of your choice and beat well.

Combine the 3 dry ingredients plus 1 spice or flavouring combination, of your choice and fold into the liquid ingredients, gently.  Only mix until the flour is moistened.

Fold in your choice of fruit and/or nuts, or other fillings

Put batter into greased muffin tins.  Top with your topping of choice if the topping will cook with the muffin.

Bake for 15 min. at 350F, or until the muffins pull away from the side of the pan and the top springs back when lightly touched.  Add topping that must be added to hot muffin now.  Allow the pan to sit on a cooling rack for 15 minutes while muffins firm up.  Remove from pan and cool on a rack.  Serve warm or cold.

 

The Muffin Master Method in Action:

I’m going to make a muffin using this Master Method for tomorrow.

Let’s make a Mocha Muffin.

1 cup of espresso, cooled

2 eggs

2 tbsp. melted butter

2 tbsp. organic sugar

Mix all ingredients together.  In a separate bowl add:

1 cup. whole wheat flour

1/4 cup cooked quinoa

1 T. baking powder

1/2 t. Celtic salt or Himalayan salt

2 tbsp. cocoa powder plus 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Fold the dry ingredients into the liquid ingredients, only until the flour is completely moistened.

Add:

1/2 cup. chopped raw cashews

1/2 cup. raw chocolate nibs

Fold the filling in gently.

Fill greased muffin tins 3/4 full of the muffin batter.

Bake at 350F for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the top springs back when gently pushed.

Remove from oven and immediately top with a square of dark chocolate.  Allow to melt and firm when cool.

Serve warm or cold.

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A Challenge for you:

Now it’s your turn.   Using the Master Method for Muffins from Scratch create a muffin recipe using ingredients that you already have on hand.  Take a picture of your masterpiece and share it on my Facebook Wall. 

You can even share your original recipe if you like.  This is so much fun being creative with what we already have on hand, don’t you think?  Homestead Abundance at its best!