A good muffin is a beautiful thing. Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.  You can make them quickly and with things you have available.  I decide what kind to make depending on what I have on hand. If I have bananas in the freezer that I’ve saved for this purpose, I use those.  Or it might be pumpkin or orange juice.

I have the above basic muffin recipe taped onto the inside of a cabinet door. The dry ingredients are always the same. The brown sugar, oil, and egg are always the same. You can use the vanilla or substitute any other extract.  I often use almond extract but you could also use anise, rum, or any other to suit your taste.  The original recipe called for milk as the liquid but I have also used almond milk, soy milk,  or orange juice. You can add in anything that doesn’t change the consistency of the batter. I use chocolate chips almost every time. Other possibilities in addition to or on their own are berries,  nuts of any kind,  pineapple, orange zest, cranberries,  date, raisins, coconut, etc.

Sift the dry ingredients together. Mix the wet ingredients together with the add-ins, then add the wet to the dry ingredients. Stir just until mixed but no longer! Stirring longer makes the muffins tough and they will not be light and fluffy.

You can make the topping on the recipe, which is like a streusel, or leave it off.  I have done it both ways. Spray muffin tins with non-stick spray and portion out the batter. Then just bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 18 minutes.

I  make these about twice a month. It’s nice to have something delicious and homemade rather than something not so good and probably full of preservatives. And you can make them quickly after you’ve done it a couple of times. Enjoy!