Recipe for Plain Muffins

Just want to show that I can cook too. When I went on sabbatical in 1999 for 1 whole year, I had so much time to refine my culinary skills. I bought some cookbooks and picked up fantastic cooking tips. Now, I make great soups and many types of Italian pasta. Of course, I cook Chinese and most Malaysian dishes too.

One great tea time treats I like is muffins. It is very easy to make, just 20 minutes preparation time and 25 mins baking time, wallah, I can have English Tea with Muffins topped with cream, strawberry jam and butter. I do sometime eat muffins with kaya and butter - Malaysian style!!

I like Periplus cookbooks, they are informative and easy to follow. Lots of colourful pictures too.

When I choose a cookbook, I want to know what kind of cookwares and utensils to use for some particular kind of cooking. I want to have information about various spices and ingredients with pictures too. I tried out Periplus cookbooks and its cooking methods. So far, most of the recipes turn out perfect.

Plain Muffins

Preparation time : 15 minutes
Total cooking time : 25 minutes
Makes 12

2 ½ cups self-raising flour
¼ cup caster sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 ½ cups milk
160g butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to moderately hot 210ºC (190ºC gas). Brush a 12-hole muffin tin with melted butter or oil. (I do it with fingers, because it is easier and faster.)
2. Sift flour, sugar and baking powder into a bowl. Make a well in the centre; add combined egg, milk and melted butter all at once. (I combine the eggs, milk and melted butter into a big bowl, kacau kuat kuat - mix it well, then pour into the flour mixture.)
3. Stir gently with a fork or rubber spatula until mixture is just moistened. (Do not over-mix; batter should look quite lumpy.) (I just use a fork to fold the mixture and turn the bowl round and round and round until all the mixture becomes lumpy, less than 5 minutes - done!!)
4. Spoon mixture evenly into prepared tin. Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Loosen muffins with a spatula and transfer to a wire rack. (I usually use my senses - scent and sight - to check out the golden brown muffins, it may take another 5 mins to get to the level of brown-ness I want.)

And that's it!! 12 mouth-watering, lip-smacking, finger-sucking, sight-tantalising golden brown muffins just roll out from the oven. Enjoy!!