How to bake muffins

Hello to all those year 9's that got to research my blog today before they get to bake muffins in their Food Technology class later this week. And for those I'll be demonstrating this to at 'Tuesday Night Club' tomorrow night, here's the basic 'How to bake' instructions and step-by-step guide in full.

You will need this basic equipment: 

Cup measures are used instead of having to weigh the fruit, particularly as some fruit can be heavier, it's easier to use a cup full.

You will need these basic ingredients:

I always use salted butter myself, I find it makes them taste nicer, but unsalted would do.
I usually use semi-skimmed milk, but full-fat would be ok, but I would avoid using skimmed milk.
'Fresh from the hens' eggs are always nicer but if you can't keep your own chickens, try and buy 'happy eggs' where the hens are having a nice life, and not stuck in a cage or battery farm :(


The order of things:

Turn on the oven first, so that it has time to warm up to the correct temperature.

Next melt the butter. I do this in a microwave for about 45 seconds. But if you don't have a 'zapper' but it in a pyrex bowl over a saucepan of water on the stove, and stir until melted. You need to let the butter cool a little, before adding the eggs later, otherwise they'll start to cook before they should. 

Now mix all the dry ingredients (but not the fruit or choc chips) together, sieving the flour and cocoa powder. The mixture doesn't need to be overworked, just quickly mix together with a wooden spoon.

Then into the 'cooler' melted butter add the sour cream, milk, and finally the eggs and mix together until combined. Again there's no need to overdo it, just use a fork.   

Instead of sour cream you could use buttermilk, but they won't be as good. Buttermilk can be used instead of regular milk too if you happen to have some in the fridge. 

Always mix the wet into the dry and mix together with the wooden spoon until it plops off the spoon easily. 

Add the fruit and/or chocolate chips last of all. Frozen, fresh or tinned fruit can be used, just make sure that the chunks are small so that the muffin batter has something to form around when baking.

If you are putting a filling in the middle - then put a dollop of muffin mixture on the bottom of the paper case, then add a teaspoon of the filling, and cover over with more batter. 

Muffins will be cooked when golden brown (depending on the flavour) and if you press a finger into them, the indentation will spring back.

Leave in the tin for a few minutes after baking so that they start to set a little, or else they will fall apart if you move them to soon.

Always leave to cool on a wire tray before decorating with icing. 

Store in an airtight tin and eat within a couple of days. 
You can freeze any leftover in a freezer bag or tub.
And bung in the microwave to reheat if they go a bit stale after a few days.

There you have it, all the tricks of the trade. Enjoy your baking :)