Muffins for the Chronologically Challenged

Photo credit: jeltovski from morguefile.com

I love, love, love muffins.They're portable, they are compact, and they come in a million different varieties. What's not to love? (Notice, I'm conveniently not mentioning the calorie count, 'cause I don't care. Much.)

What I don't love is the length of time it takes me to make them from scratch when I'm stumbling around, barely awake, in the morning. So, I made up two mixes that can be customized at will. I store a batch in the freezer in a ziploc bag, ready for use. Here are the recipes:

Muffin Mix #1
For each 1 dozen muffins, mix the following in a ziploc bag:
2 c. flour
1/3 c. sugar
1 T. baking powder
1 t. salt
Shake well to mix and toss in the freezer. When you want to use it, pull it out and put in 1 1/2 cup of your favorite frozen fruit (blueberries with lemon zest, hint, hint), or 1 cup of chocolate chips and some orange zest, or 1 cup dried cranberries and 1/2 c. white chocolate chips, or whatever you dream up. I've even thought about leaving out the sugar, adding 1 cup of shredded cheese and a handful of bacon bits and some spices of some sort. Fresh herbs, maybe. Sounds great with a glass of o.j., but I digress.

When your dry ingredients have been added, mix the following in another bowl:
1 egg
1 c. milk
1/4 c. melted butter
1/2 t. vanilla
Add to dry mix, being careful not to over mix! The goal is muffins, not hockey pucks. Bake in a muffin tin at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until done.

The other mix is whole wheat. We eat this mix a lot in the fall and winter.

Muffin Mix #2
For each 1 dozen muffins, mix the following in a ziploc bag:
1 c. flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 T. baking powder
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg

When the dry mix is complete, mix the following in another bowl:
1 egg
1 c. pumpkin
1/2 c. vegetable oil (we use canola)
1/2 c. milk or apple juice

Mix the two gently (avoiding hockey pucks) and fold in 2 c. chopped apples if desired. I also like to mix up a streusel to sprinkle on top from 1/4 c. brown sugar, 1/4 c. chopped pecans, 1 t. cinnamon, 1 T. flour, and 1 T. butter. Bake them in a muffin tin at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until done.