Quick & Easy Muffins

Quick and easy muffins are the kind of back-pocket recipe every cook needs. Eight pantry ingredients, one bowl, one pan, and twenty minutes in the oven. The batter is plain on purpose so you can steer it any direction with what’s in the fridge.

The lean ratio (just a quarter cup of sugar and two tablespoons of shortening) makes these more like old-fashioned tea muffins than a dessert cupcake. That means they play nicely with savory butter, jam, or a drizzle of honey at breakfast.

Don’t overmix. Stir the wet and dry together just until the flour disappears. A few lumps are fine. Over-stirred batter develops too much gluten and gives you tough, tunnel-riddled muffins.

Chef Tips

• Fill muffin cups two-thirds full for a nice domed top. Too full and they overflow, too shallow and they stay flat.
• Rest the batter five minutes before baking to let the baking powder start working.
• Swap shortening for softened butter for a richer, more flavorful crumb.
• Check at 18 minutes with a toothpick. A few moist crumbs means done.

Variations

• Fold in a cup of blueberries tossed in a tablespoon of flour to keep them suspended.
• Add a teaspoon of cinnamon and a handful of diced apples for fall.
• Stir in mini chocolate chips and a tablespoon of cocoa for kid-friendly muffins.