Muffin mood

Around here, school mornings are like a cross between Lord of the Flies and Survivor. The kids get themselves up, dressed and then the hunt for food begins. By the time I wander into the kitchen, it looks as though a herd of starving beasts have been and gone: all that's left are bowls filled with soggy uneaten cereal and the last crumbs of the last loaf of bread scattered about the floor, the counter, the table.

Then one night before bed, Old Mother Hubbard looked in the cupboard and.... well... there was some dust at the bottom of a cereal box, and a heel or two of bread, and two very black bananas. And this Old Mother decided she would rather bake than go to the Chow Tiger. First I made banana bread, and then I decided that muffins were a better choice -- less likely for the kids to take more than they could eat since portion control is baked right in.

So I used this muffin mix as the base for the Apple Crumb muffins the kids found on the table this morning. For tomorrow I'm planning Chocolate Chip. After that... I'm looking for suggestions, so please post!

Basic Muffin Batter (makes 12)

1 egg

1 c. milk

1/2 cup oil

2 c. flour

1/2 c. sugar

1 T baking powder

1 tsp. salt

Mix everything together. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray muffin cups with cooking spray, or use muffin tin liners. Bake until muffins are cooked through and golden on top, about 20 to 30 minutes.

For Apple Crumb muffins:

Add to batter, 1 large apple, peeled and diced

Pour into prepared muffin tin.

In a separate bowl, mix together 1/2 c. brown sugar and 1/2 c. flour. Add 3 T butter and cut in with knives or a pastry knife until forms a coarse meal. Use a spoon to divide crumb topping over muffin batter. Bake until cooked through.

For Chocolate Chip muffins:

Add to batter: 4 to 6 oz. chocolate chips.

Pour into prepared muffin tin.

Top muffins with a generous sprinkle of cinnamon sugar (optional).