Everyone loves a muffin.  The problem is, muffins are often too sweet, too sticky or don’t have enough stuff in them!  And, sometimes they simply take too long to make.  My Mum is a fabulous baker, as was my grandmother, and there are a few recipes in our family that have been handed down over the years that are just too perfect to tweak.  So, when Saturday morning comes and my girls want a home baked treat, I typically reach for my “go to” muffin recipe that is just right – I call them “Mum’s Muffins.”  You can put anything you like in them, from berries to chocolate chips.  I typically do a mixture of blueberries, blackberries and rasberries but they are just as good with a single type of berry or chocolate chips.  The delighter?  They take about 20 minutes to assemble and pop in the oven and another 25 to cook so they are ready to enjoy in under an hour!

MUM’S MUFFINS
Makes 16 muffins

Ingredients
6 tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/4 c sugar
2 c flour, unsifted
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 c milk
2 large eggs
1 generous pint of berries (blueberries, rasberries, blackberries etc)

To Make
Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Cream butter and sugar in stand mixer (can use hand mixer).  Add eggs one at a time and beat well.  Sift together flour, salt, baking powder and add mixture alternately with milk, mixing on medium-low after each addition.  Fold berries into batter.  Line muffin tins with muffin papers and fill almost to the top (I use a small ice cream scoop to do this).  Bake on lower middle rack for 25 minutes.  Check for doneness – if they are really brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean (save for berry juice), remove the muffins from the oven.  If not, bake for another 5 minutes.  Note: I typically put  my muffin pan on top of a baking sheet but this is not necessary. Cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Optional: sprinkle lightly with a mixture of sugar and cinnamon 2 minutes before coming out of the oven.  (My family finds this unnecessary, but some like it)

To Serve
Remove muffins from pan and arrange on a platter.  Hungry hands can remove the muffin papers themselves before they dive in!