Basic Muffin Mix

I do not really know how many of you read my blog for baking recipes. But if you are one of those who do it for the baking recipes, this post might interest you.  I have a knack for simplifying things. Be it at work or at home. And I do believe in coming up with a plan for doing everything in an order. That makes it not only easy, but quick too. I started measuring and keeping the dry ingredients in a ziploc bag and mixing it with wet ingredients to bake 5 years back when I was pregnant and on bed rest. I was allowed not more than 20 - 30 minutes of standing at a time. This planning made sure my kid had something fresh to take to day care every day. I do not know if this seems like a good idea for you since you have to use the ziploc bag or container and label them. You also have to use up the mix before the baking powder or baking soda that you have used in the mix expires.

Here is the first of the basic mix that you can create to suit your busy life or to give as a gift. If you have these mixes handy in ziploc bags, it is very easy to mix and bake early in the morning to serve as breakfast.

Ingredients to be mixed in the jar:
All purpose flour - 1 3/4 cups
Sugar - 1/4 cup
Baking Powder - 2 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp


To mix before baking:
Egg -1 (Or equivalent egg replacer like flax egg or ener-G replacer)
Milk - 3/4 cup (Or any fruit juice to flavor the muffin)
Oil - 1/3 cup

Instructions to be written on a card to accompany the jar:
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Grease a muffin pan with vegetable oil spray or line with paper liners. In a bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup milk (or fruit juice), 1/3 cup oil and 1 large egg or egg substitute. Dump the contents of the jar into the liquid and stir to combine. Fill the muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake fro 20 - 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Makes about 8 - 10 standard sized muffins.

Variations:
Add about a cup of chocolate chips or chopped nuts or 1 cup of chopped fruits or 1 cup of dried fruits to the batter and bake. Use 1 cup APF, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour and 1/4 cup wheat germ for a part whole wheat mufifn mix. If you add chocolate chips or nuts or fruits, you will get about 12 muffins.

Enjoy.