INGREDIENTS:

• 2-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 cups (packed) light brown sugar
• 2/3 cup solid vegetable shortening (such as Crisco), cold and cut into 4 lumps
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 large eggs, well beaten
• 1 cup butterscotch baking chips

 

 

 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and position oven rack in center of the oven.
2. Line muffin tins with papers or grease and flour muffin tins.
3. In a large bowl, combine flour and brown sugar until no lumps remain.
4. Add shortening and cover with the flour/sugar mixture. Use a pastry blender or your fingertips to gently combine until the mix resembles coarse bread crumbs. (This may also be done in the food processor using a few short pulses of power. Do not let it run or the shortening will melt.)
5. Reserve 1/2 cup of the flour/sugar mixture and set aside to use as the crumb topping.
6. To the remaining flour/sugar mixture, add baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Using a fork, combine well. Add buttermilk and beaten eggs. Using a large spoon, mix briskly until thick and batter takes on a sheen. Fold in butterscotch chips.
7. Fill muffin tins 2/3 full. Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of reserved crumb topping mixture over the top of each muffin. Gently tamp down topping into batter.
8. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until tests done with a toothpick. Serve warm or at room temperature.

 

 

 

For mini-muffins: Do not add butterscotch chips to batter before filling mini-muffin cups. Instead, fill cups 2/3 full, then gently press 3 butterscotch chips into each mini-muffin before adding crumb topping. Bake for about 14 minutes until edges are lightly browned.

 

 

 

Yield: about 16 large muffins or 60 mini-muffins

 

 

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Pumpkin Muffins

 

INGREDIENTS:

•  1/2 cup raisins
• 1-1/2 cups and 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1-1/3 cups white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 (29 ounce) can pumpkin
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts

 

 

 

DIRECTIONS:

 

1.        Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C). Grease three 12 cup muffin pans, or line with paper muffin liners. Soak raisins in hot water for ten minutes to plump, then drain.

 

2.        In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ground cloves. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, pumpkin, and applesauce, until smooth. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and stir thoroughly to make a smooth batter. Stir the raisins and walnuts into the batter. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups.

 

3.        Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

 

 

 

Yield: about 12 large muffins or 40 mini-muffins