Nothin' But Muffins

Here is a very good basic muffin batter, to which you can add just about anything.

1 pound butter (at room temperature)
1-1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs, beaten (at room temperature)
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup milk

Cream the butter and sugar, then add beaten eggs. Combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add alternately with the milk, mixing only until blended. Add fruit or other "mix-ins" as you like. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes.

This weekend I tried Hummingbird muffins with this batter and they were delicious. I added about 12 oz. of canned crushed pineapple (drained), 2 smashed ripe bananas, and about a tsp. of cinnamon. This made the basic batter a little thin, so I added some more flour. I like my muffin batter thick.

The other muffin variation I tried with this basic recipe was something I call "Fig Newton Muffins." Just cut fig bar cookies into chunks--as small or as large as you like. Again, add as much or as little as you want to the batter. When I told my husband what I was making, he gave me a skeptical look, but gave his approval upon tasting. I think it's the muffin batter that makes the "Fig Newton Muffins" so good. I don't think they would taste quite as good with just any batter!

Fig Newton Muffins

Weekend Warrior

I'm a weekend warrior when it comes to baking. My full-time job leaves me tired on most weeknights, even though I would love to bake every night if I could! But, I save my energy for the weekend and then often have marathon baking sessions. This weekend I was anxious to try a recipes I found for "The Best Honey Bundt Cake." The reviews said it was moist, delicious, and always turns out fantastic. Although I followed the instructions very carefully, I was somewhat disappointed in the results. The recipe described the batter as thin, which it was. It took the full 70 minutes to cook. I was sure the raisins were going to sink to the bottom of the pan, which they did. This resulted in a cluster of raisins on the top of the cake, which was visually interesting, but I like my raisins distributed through the cake. The cake is definitely moist. It's very sticky as well (as you might guess from the addition of 1-1/2 cups of honey). The consistency is a bit like a bread pudding. I won't bother printing the recipe here, but here is a link to it.

http://www.recipezaar.com/The-Best-Honey-Bundt-Cake-71494


Make sure you grease and flour the pan. This cake does not come of of the pan easily.

"The Best Honey Bundt Cake"