The Best Muffins

The Best Muffins - (need plain low-fat yogurt)

From "The Best Recipe" pg. 376

Makes 12.  Preheat oven to 375F.  Spray muffin pan with non-stick spray. 

Base recipe: 

3 C flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

10T butter, softened
1 C minus 1 T sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 C plain lowfat yogurt (ex. Stoneyfield Farm) (NOT non-fat) 

1. Whisk dry ingredients together. 
2. Cream butter and sugar; add eggs one at a time, beating well.
3. Beat in 1/2 dry ingredients, then 1/3 yogurt mixture.  Scrape sides of mixing bowl. Continue alternating until just mixed.  Batter will be very thick.  Fold in fruit at this point.*
4. Sprinkle tops with a little sugar (unless you plan to dip them in cinnamon sugar). 
5. Bake 25-30 minutes.  Set on wire rack for a few minutes, remove muffins from tins, and serve warm.

Notes:  These freeze really well! These are an indulgence, not a health food;).  But if you are going to have a muffin, homemade is best!

Variations:  

1. CRANBERRY ORANGE:  Add the zest of one orange with the butter and sugar.  Add 1 1/2 C coarsely chopped cranberries to the batter. 
2. BLUEBERRY LEMON:  Add the zest of one lemon to butter and sugar; to the batter, fold in 1 1/2 C blueberries that have been tossed in flour. 
3. CINNAMON TOPPED:  If you don't have any of these variation ingredients, it's nice to dip the warm muffin tops first in butter and then cinnamon sugar, as in the above photo.  Yum!  If you have a hankering for cinnamon rolls, this is a quick fun alternative.