Surprise Muffins

When I was in elementary school learning how to bake, after my chocolate chip cookies fiasco, this was the first recipe that I mastered. I think I got this recipe from a Better Crocker’s Kids Cookbook, and I loved looking at all the pictures and trying the recipes.  (However, to be completely honest, I only tried a small handful because they somehow didn’t turn out exactly how I wanted.  I’ll tell you the lemon pie story later.  It could also be that there were few ingredients and the instructions were very simple.)  Even though this book is geared for elementary-age kids, I still make these muffins.   It is the easiest recipe in the world and tastes fantastic.  I just don’t tell anyone where the recipe came from.  Well…actually I do.  Is that wrong?

Whisk the egg, milk, and vegetable oil with a fork in a medium-size bowl.

Dump the dry ingredients in the same bowl and with the fork, blend the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until all is moistened.

Fill them about half-full and add 1-2 teaspoons jam.  (Homemade is the best, but store bought is fine.)  Cover with a little bit of batter and then bake.

 Take them out of the oven and once they’ve been sitting out 3-5 minutes, put on a rack to cool completely.  Now, isn’t that easy?

 Surprise Muffins
1 egg
½ cup milk
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 ½ cups flour
½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
favorite flavor of jam

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a muffin tin with muffin cups, or grease the muffin tin.

Beat in a medium bowl with a fork the egg, milk, and vegetable oil. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Combine with the milk mixture until all is moistened.

Fill the each muffin cup about ½ full. Put about one teaspoon of jam on the center top of the batter. Put a little bit of the batter over the top of the jam, so that the jam is “encased” in the batter. Bake for about 20-25 minutes. The muffins should have a golden color and a toothpick inserted should come out clean.