I'm looking for a basic muffin recipe

[Earthmummy07]

that I can add various things to dependant on my mood.

I've never made muffins before. Do I have to have muffin paper cases or can I make smaller ones in the little paper cake cases?

Anybody?

[Annainprogress]

You can def make them in "cake cases". Or just the bun trays lol.

I mostly use a victoria sponge/fairy cake recipe then add whatever, sometimes I use an Annabel Karmel toddler recipe (for pineapple & raisin muffins) then substitute bananas or whatever if I'm wanting to do fruit muffins. Can type up both if you want?

[Earthmummy07]

Yes please

[Marrae]

I make them in mini paper cases, fairy cake cases or muffin cases depending on what size I want. The recipe is the same.

I usually use equal quantities of flour, sugar and butter and half that quantity of eggs and tbsp of milk to mix then add whatever extras you want.

eg 6 oz flour, 6 oz sugar, 6 oz butter, 3 eggs, 3 tbps milk and a cup of chocolate chips.

For banana muffins I use a different recipe because of the difference in texture / softness with the bananas.

[Earthmummy07]

sounding a bit thick, what's the method for making them - i figure it's different from fairy cakes?

[Annainprogress]

If doing a recipe like Marrae's I just do it the same, cream butter & sugar, beat in eggs one at a time, fold in (s/r) flour plus extras. My recipe doesn't have the milk though. Put in whatever cases, bake at gas mark 4/350f/180c for around 15-20 mins for fairy cake size (until golden & when poked they spring back)

The Annabel Karmel recipe:

100g/4 oz plain flour
100g/4 oz plain wholemeal flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
175 ml/6 fl oz vegetable oil
75g/3 oz caster sugar
2 eggs
125g/4 1/2 oz grated carrots
225g/8 oz (small tin) canned crushed pineapple, drained
100g/4 oz raisins

Preheat oven to 180c/350f/gas mark 4. Sift together the flours, baking powder, bicarb, spices and salt (I usually use 8 oz white s/r flour instead, adjust spices to taste & don't add the salt) and mix well. In a separate bowl beat the oil, sugar & eggs together until well-blended. Add the grated carrots, crushed pineapple and raisins (tbh I've never added the carrots either I don't think). Gradually add the flour mixture, beating just enough to combine all the ingredients.
Pour the batter into muffin trays lined with paper cases and baker for about 25 minutes or until golden. (these can be cooked in fairy-cake trays but you will need to reduce the choking time.) Cool on a wire rack.

[Earthmummy07]

Am I right in thinking that muffins and fairycakes are the same apart from how they're mixed?

I always thought that muffins were somehow healthier but if that's not the case, I might just make fairy cakes

[Annainprogress]

The Annabel Karmel recipe is a bit healthier (less sugar, lots of fruit) but yeah afaik they're pretty much the same

(btw my usual adaptation for it, apart from what I already italicised, is to switch the pineapple & carrot for 3 bananas, and raisins for 240g blueberries, comes out denser than fairy cakes but oh so yummy. And six portions of fruit so if you make 12 then you eat 2 and that's a portion of fruit )

[Aerynne]

Amy Dacyczyn has a "universal muffin recipe" in the Complete Tightwad gazette. It calls for things like liquid (then gives ideas for what kind of liquid), grain (then gives ideas including how to incorporate leftover oatmeal), etc. I would try to get ahold of that if you can. She also has a universal quiche and universal casserole in the same book.

[ViolaMum]

These are pretty good and an easy recipe to tweak. For instance, I usually use whole wheat pastry flour and sub coconut oil or butter for the canola oil. If you scroll around, you'll see a whole host of variations, and they all freeze pretty well so that you can make them in bulk.

[Marsha]

I have an old Pillsbury cookbook that has a basic muffin recipe, then has several suggestions for adding ingredients. Our favorite is a apple/cinnamon one. Nothing any healthier than cake LOL, but more convenient and less sweet than cupcakes or cakes and it smells good baking.

I love muffin paper cups, as cleaning a muffin pan is ridiculous IMO and difficult! They are pretty cheap, $1 for 70 of the store brand. I don't do the small ones because I haven't wanted to buy a pan that will hold the small ones, but one day I'll come across one at a rummage sale or something LOL.

[Marrae]

Muffins can be as healthy or unhealthy as you want, up to a point. You can have healthier additions, like nuts or seeds instead of choc chips or sub the basic ingredients with healthier alternatives. For example, you can use whichever sort of flour you wish, you could sweeten with honey, maple syrup, agave or just use banana or apple puree to sweeten. The variations are as limitless as your imagination. I like to use bran in mine sometimes.