Easy peasy muffins: 7 delicious flavours, 1 basic recipe

BASIC MUFFIN RECIPE

Makes: 12

Ingredients:

240g (2 cups) cake flour

85ml (⅓ cup) caster sugar

10ml (2 tsp) baking powder

5ml (1 tsp) bicarbonate of soda

1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten

180ml (⅔ cup) plain yoghurt (or buttermilk)

85ml (⅓ cup) milk

60ml (4 tbsp) oil

Method:

1. Sift flour, caster sugar, baking powder and bicarb into a bowl.
2. Combine the egg, yoghurt, milk and oil.
3. Make a well in the dry ingredients and mix in the wet ingredients. Don't overmix. If mixture is too dry, add extra yoghurt.
4. Pour into paper-lined muffin pans and bake at 180°C for 20 minutes. 

VARIATIONS

NOTE: The baking time and temperature is the same as the basic recipe for all variations.

BANANA MUFFINS

Add 4 mashed bananas to the wet ingredients before mixing.

PECAN AND CINNAMON MUFFINS

Add 5ml (1 tsp) ground cinnamon and 100g roughly chopped pecan nuts to dry ingredients before mixing in wet ingredients.

CARROT AND APPLE MUFFINS

Add 2.5ml (½ tsp) mixed spice to the dry ingredients before mixing. Fold 1 peeled and grated carrot and 1 grated apple into the muffin mixture before baking.

GRANADILLA AND MINT MUFFINS

Add 170g fresh or canned granadilla pulp to wet ingredients instead of milk. While mixing, add milk if mixture is too dry. Fold a handful finely chopped fresh mint into the muffin mixture before baking.

SPICY FRUIT MUFFINS

Soak a generous handful of cake fruit mix (raisins, sultanas etc) in 250ml (1 cup) rooibos tea, preferably overnight. Drain, discarding the tea. Fold the fruit and 2.5ml (½ tsp) mixed spice into the muffin mixture before baking.

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

Fold 250ml (1 cup) blueberries into the muffin mixture before baking, without squashing the fruit.