Not long ago, I discovered, in a local grocery shop an instant product for the preparation of Muffins. It was called Muffin Mix. Inside the box, I discovered, besides the obvious dust used for the preparation, 10 shapes made out of cooking paper, which I used for the composition. The idea of a muffin looked positively charming to me, especially since I hadn’t eaten any, by that moment. For this reason, I began the search for a cooking pan, with individual shapes for the muffins. After having discovered it, I began documenting for a home-made composition, and soon got to the conclusion that the one I am about to describe here is the fittest, fastest and cheapest:
You have to mix 2 cups all-purpose flour, 3 and a half teaspoons of baking powder, half a teaspoon of salt, half a cup sugar, half a teaspoon lemon peal, and half a teaspoon cinnamon. Separately, in an individual bowl, we mix the moist ingredients: 1 egg, 1 cup milk, one third cup oil and a half or a total teaspoon of rum or vanilla essence. The moist part has to be gradually incorporated inside the dry one, until you notice the formation of a homogenous paste. You can also add a cup of small cut fruit, but you should use the ones less susceptible for moisting the inside of the crust: apples, prunes, cherries. You can also use frozen fruit, but I recommend you to put it on the top of the crust, after you have already added the crust inside the shape. You bake them for 15 or 20 minutes, depending on the quantity of baking powder you used.
The main advantage of home-made muffins is that you can generally consider them organic. You get to participate directly to their preparation, and you know your ingredients are conservatives-free. Also, the entire “making of the muffin” part is quick, simple and quite economic. The only downfall, of course, is that you have to use a couple of your minutes to sit inside the kitchen and prepare them. However, the taste is more than satisfying and worth all the effort.