Madeline's Muffins

Four ingredients and about 40 minutes stand between you and a batch of warm, golden muffins. Bisquick baking mix does all the leavening and seasoning work, so there’s no measuring out flour, baking powder, or salt separately.

The method is classic quick-bread technique: wet ingredients into dry, stir until just blended, stop. Overmixing is the one thing that can go wrong here. A few lumps in the batter are fine and actually desirable. Overworked batter develops gluten, which turns fluffy muffins into tough, chewy hockey pucks.

Fill the pans two-thirds full. That leaves room for the muffins to dome up into those bakery-style rounded tops. The high oven heat gives them a quick initial rise and golden crust.

Kitchen Tips

• Generously butter the muffin pans as the recipe says. These stick more than you’d expect with such a simple batter.
• Stir the wet and dry ingredients together in about 10 to 15 strokes. If the batter looks smooth, you’ve gone too far.
• Check at the 15-minute mark. Ovens vary, and these can go from golden to dark quickly at high heat.

Variations

• Fold in ¾ cup of fresh blueberries or dried cranberries for a fruit muffin.
• Add ½ cup of oats or bran to the dry mix for a heartier, whole grain version.
• Stir in raisins and a teaspoon of cinnamon for a spiced breakfast muffin.