I've gotten a few requests lately for the recipe to some of my favorite dishes, so I decided to use some of my Friday Favorites to post about some of the awesome food at my house.
First up is my Universal Muffin Mix. I mix up two batches of this mix and put it in a four gallon bucket in my cupboard. Then I pull it out and make 2 dozen muffins at a time, often for lunch. The mix is wonderful, but the add-ins are what make it unique. We've made blackberry muffins, granola muffins, all-bran muffins, banana muffins, apple muffins, and pear muffins and we've loved almost all of them. The only exception was the blackberry muffins, which surprised me because we love blackberries. I often add chopped nuts and even chocolate chips to my versions. I make the full 2 dozen at a time because all the extras get eaten by my older kids for after-school snacks.
Lately, my favorite way to eat them is to add two or three soft pears mashed up, a bunch of chopped walnuts and a sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar on top. They taste a bit like apple cinnamon muffins only better that way.
Ingredients for Mix
First up is my Universal Muffin Mix. I mix up two batches of this mix and put it in a four gallon bucket in my cupboard. Then I pull it out and make 2 dozen muffins at a time, often for lunch. The mix is wonderful, but the add-ins are what make it unique. We've made blackberry muffins, granola muffins, all-bran muffins, banana muffins, apple muffins, and pear muffins and we've loved almost all of them. The only exception was the blackberry muffins, which surprised me because we love blackberries. I often add chopped nuts and even chocolate chips to my versions. I make the full 2 dozen at a time because all the extras get eaten by my older kids for after-school snacks.
Lately, my favorite way to eat them is to add two or three soft pears mashed up, a bunch of chopped walnuts and a sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar on top. They taste a bit like apple cinnamon muffins only better that way.
Ingredients for Mix
- PLEASE! For best results, before proceeding read ALL directions before making a batch.
- 18 cups flour
- 5 cups sugar (or equivalent substitute)
- 2 1/4 cups dry buttermilk or nonfat dry milk powder
- 6 tablespoons baking powder
- 2 tablespoons baking soda
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon (I reduce cinnamon to 2 Tbsp.)
- 3 teaspoons ground nutmeg (I reduce nutmeg to 2 Tbsp.)
- ***
How to make it
- Combine ingredients and break up any lumps.To make 24 regular-sized muffins:.Preheat oven to 400°. Coat muffin tins with cooking spray.In a large bowl, beat 3 to 4 eggs.3 teaspoons vanilla.2 cups water.UP TO 1 cup oil or butter.Stir in 5-1/2 cups muffin mix and any additional ingredients (listed below) just until moistened. The batter should be lumpy.Fill muffin tins full.Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until muffins are golden brown.Applesauce muffins: 1 cup applesauce omit oil.Apple muffins: 3 cups raw grated carrots 1 teaspoons gr. cloves 1 cup nuts or raisins sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar mixture before baking.Apricot muffins: 1 cup chopped dried apricots.Banana muffins: 2 mashed bananas 1 cup walnuts (optional).Blueberry muffins: 2 cups fresh or frozen rinsed blueberries.Bran-molasses muffins: Use only 3 cups of muffin mix. Stir in: 4 cups bran cereal 1/2 cup molasses 1 cup raisins.Butterscotch muffins: 2 (12 oz.) bags butterscotch chips 1 cup chopped nuts.Carrot muffins: 2 cups grated carrots 1 cup raisins 1-1/2 teaspoons allspice.Cashew muffins: 2 cups unsalted coarsely chopped cashews.Cherry muffins: 2 cups fresh or dried pitted cherries.Chocolate chip-fudge muffins: 1-1/2 cups cocoa 1/2 cup sugar 3 cups mini chocolate chips.Coconut muffins: 3 cups toasted flaked coconut (reserve some to sprinkle on the top).Cranberry-orange muffins: 2 cups chopped fresh or frozen cranberries 1 cup nuts 1/2 cup orange juice 2 Tb. orange peel.Currant muffins: 1-1/2 cups currants 1 cup chopped nuts.Date nut muffins: 1 cup chopped dates 1 cup chopped nuts.Eggnog muffins: 4 teaspoons rum extract 2 cups eggnog (omit water from recipe) before baking, top with mixture of: 2 Tb. sugar 1 teaspoons nutmeg 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon.Fig muffins: 2 cups dried chopped figs 1 cup chopped walnuts.Fruit muffins: 2 cups dried diced fruit.Garden fresh muffins: 1 cup grated carrots 1 cup grated zucchini 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves.Gingerbread muffins: 2 Tb. ground ginger 1/2 cup molasses 2 cups raisins.Granola muffins: reduce muffin mix to 4 cups and add: 1-1/2 cups granola. Top with additional granola before baking.Grape nuts muffins: reduce muffin mix to 4 cups and add: 2-1/2 cups grape nuts and 1 teaspoons allspice.Hazelnut muffins: 2 teaspoons ground cardamom 2 cups chopped hazelnuts.Incredible Cream Cheese muffins: combine: 2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese 1/2 cup sugar 2 eggs. Drop this mix by Tb. onto top of muffins before baking.Jam muffins: 1-1/2 cups jam or preserves (strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, cherry) 1 cup chopped nuts (optional).Kisses and hugs muffins: 1-1/2 cups cocoa 1/2 cup sugar after filling muffin tins 3/4 full, drop one Hershey’s kiss into the center of each muffin, pushing down slightly until kiss is covered. Ice cooled muffins with confectioners sugar and water glaze.Lemon muffins: omit 1 cup water and replace with 1 cup lemon juice use 4 eggs, 1/2 cup chopped nuts.Lemon-poppy seed: 2 packages (3.4 oz each) instant lemon pudding mix 2 Tb. poppy seeds use 4 eggs omit 1 cup water and replace with 1 cup lemon juice.Mandarin muffins: 2 (8-1.4 oz) cans crushed pineapple (undrained) reduce water to 1 cup 1-1/2 cups shredded carrots.Maple muffins: 6 Tb. maple syrup, reduce water to 1-1/2 cups.Marmalade muffins: 1-1/2 cups orange marmalade, 1 cup chopped nuts (opt), 1 cup orange juice (omit 1 cup of the water).Mincemeat muffins: 1-1/2 cups mincemeat.Nutty muffins: 3 cups peanut butter chips 1/2 cup chopped peanuts.Oatmeal muffins: reduce muffin mix to 4 cups and add 1 cup oats; use 4 eggs and up to 2 cups raisins or grated apples.Orange muffins: 2 cups sour cream,1 cup nuts or coconut (opt), 2 cans (11 oz. each) mandarin oranges, drain; use 4 eggs.Peach muffins: 2 cups fresh or one large can (drained) chopped peaches.Pear muffins: 2 cups fresh or one large can (drained) chopped pears.Peanut-butter banana muffins: 1 cup peanut butter 1/2 cup chopped peanuts 3 mashed bananas.Peanut-butter & jelly muffins: 1 cup peanut butter, 1/2 cup chopped peanuts; drop 1 Tb. jam into each muffin before baking.Pecan muffins: 2 cups chopped toasted pecans, 1 teaspoons maple extract.Pineapple muffins: 1 teaspoons ground cloves, 1 large can crushed pineapple, drained 1 jar (7 oz. or about 1 cup) macadamia nuts, chopped.Pineapple carrot raisin muffins: 1 cup each: grated carrots, crushed pineapple, drained and raisins 1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional).Prune muffins: 1 to 2 cups chopped prunes 1/3 cup poppy seeds.Pumpkin muffins: 2 cups or 1 can solid pack pumpkin 1 Tb. pumpkin pie spice 1/2 cup each chopped nuts and raisins.Raspberry muffins: 2 cups fresh or frozen whole, unsweetened raspberries.Rum raisin muffins: 3 teaspoons rum extract or 3 tablespoons rum before baking, top with mix of: 2 teaspoons sugar 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg.Sesame seed muffins: 1 cup toasted sesame seeds before baking, top with mix of: 1/2 cup nuts 4 Tb. brown sugar 4 Tb. sesame seeds 2 Tb. flour 1/2 teaspoons each cinnamon/nutmeg.Sour cream muffins: omit one cup of the water and add: 1 cup sour cream 2 cups nuts 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel (opt.).Strawberry muffins: 2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries, chopped.Sweet potato muffins: 1 Tb. allspice 4 Tb. dry orange peel 2 cans (10 oz each) sweet potatoes, mashed, well drained (about 2-1/2 cups).Tropical treat muffins: 1 cup dried mango or papaya, chopped 1 cup chopped banana chips or 2 fresh mashed,1 cup macadamia nuts, chopped 1/2 cup coconut 1/2 cup sour cream 2 teaspoons lemon peel, grated.Vanilla muffins: 2 packages vanilla chips.Walnut muffins 1-1/2 cups chopped walnuts.Wheat germ muffins: 2-2/3 cup wheat germ use 4 eggs 1/2 cup extra water before baking, top muffins with mix of: 1/2 cup wheat germ 2 Tb. sugar.Yogurt muffins: reduce water to 1-1/2 cups and add: 2 cartons (8 oz each) yogurt -- plain or flavored.Zucchini muffins: 2 cups grated zucchini 2 Tb. cinnamon 1 cup chopped nuts (optional).Plum muffins: 2 cups fresh or canned plums; chopped.
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