Muffindom

This made me laugh:

Employee on phone with customer: Do we have any books about muffins? You mean how to make muffins? We have cookbooks... (pause) No? (pause) I don't think we have books... Just... About muffins.

Long Island, New York
via Overheard in the Office, Oct 13, 2009

Muffins!  They're everywhere! (Yay, Ginna!)

And so, here's another of my favorite muffin recipes.  We made these for a daddy-daughter luncheon in my church class when I was 11 or 12.  My teacher, a very reserved and proper lady who labored valiantly to teach us the womanly arts, was a great cook.  (We also made Chicken-Wonton Salad---another favorite recipe---for this luncheon.)  Whenever I get out this recipe, I still think of mixing these muffins up in my teacher's sunny kitchen and tasting the delicious batter---which she allowed---though it must have pained her.  She was a good lady.

Brown Sugar Muffins (I usually double this recipe for our family---one batch makes 12-15 muffins)

½ cup soft butter or margarine
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 c. milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Topping: (optional) (I never make the topping)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons flour
½ teaspoon cinnamon

Cream butter and sugar.  Mix milk, egg, and vanilla together.  Then in a separate bowl, sift dry ingredients together.  Add milk mixture alternately with dry ingredient mixture to butter and sugar mixture. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full, sprinkle with topping if desired. Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes.