A Recipe to Stay in for: Merry muffins

Some say the best part of waking up is coffee, but how about a muffin to fill the stomachs of those those on the run?

If you are looking for a quick, easy breakfast pick-me-up, or a simple snack for the afternoon munchies, this Merry Muffin recipe is for you.  It only takes about 20-25 minutes to prepare and cook and can make 12 regular sized muffins or 24 mini muffins.

What you will need:

• 1 3/4  cups of flour
• 1/3 cup of brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup of whole milk (can substitute skim milk if desired)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup of cooking oil

* You can add the streusel topping or leave it off – your choice

How to prepare:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

In a mixing bowl combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt.  Make sure the mixture is completely combined and set it aside.

In another bowl combine the eggs, oil, vanilla and milk.  Beat the mixture until the egg is completely blended in.

Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture that you set aside and stir until the entire mixture has blended.  The dough should be a little lumpy when you are finished and not completely smooth.  (If you choose to add some fresh fruit of your choice, add the cut pieces into the dough and stir until folded in.  Try not to over-blend the mixture as you want your muffins to be fluffy.)

Spoon the batter into prepared muffin cups about 1/2 way full.

If you wish to add the streusel topping, begin by blending 3 tablespoons of brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg and 3 tablespoons of flour.  Stir the mixture, blending the ingredients thoroughly.  Next, add 2 tablespoons of soft butter and blend into the above mixture until it resembles crumbs.  Once blended you can sprinkle your desired amount over the muffins before baking.

Bake muffins for about 10-18 minutes in the oven or until a knife inserted comes out clean.

Start you day off right with a lovely treat that is filling, tasty and sure to please the family.  With Merry Muffins your day will always be happier.

Food For Thought is a NEast restaurant review column written by Donna Ward that runs every other Thursday on NEastPhilly.com. See all of Donna’s reviews here. Read other NEastPhilly columns here.