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Heartwings Love Notes 744 - Muffins for Fall Munching

Heartwings says, "As muffins are baking they warm the heart as well as the home."

I never learned to make muffins in my mother's kitchen. She didn't care to bake from scratch or even at all, and so I was not
encouraged to do so. Once married and on my own in the kitchen I tried to make them but without success. Eventually I vowed I
would stop trying because my muffins were invariably heavy, flat and dense in texture. While they were edible, they were not how I
thought muffins ought to be. Then I sought inspiration from more experienced cooks and found out what I was doing wrong. Voila, my
muffins rose nicely.

I hadn't realized that muffins, unlike cakes, cookies and other baked goods did not need to be well beaten. Once I learned to fold the
wet ingredients lightly into the dry ingredients my troubles were over. The source of my information was a column in the Boston
Globe called the Confidential Chat. It ran several times weekly and was a wonderful source of recipes, advice and help as well as an
opportunity to share. At the peak of my participation I wrote around fifteen or so letters a week, many of which were published, and in
the process I learned to write succinctly.

Writers to the column used pen names, so publication was anonymous. However, letters answering you that were not published were
forwarded bundled in an envelope you provided, and you could choose to answer any of them if you wished. In certain ways the
Confidential Chat was part of the foundation for this column because it helped me learn to write precisely and convey information
clearly. Long-winded or unclear letters simply were not published. Since I enjoyed seeing mine in the paper, I worked hard to write
well. I also loved the recipes and shared many.

Here is a recipe I use a lot for Banana Chunk Muffins. You may substitute melted butter for the oil. If you do, be very sure to mix
lightly. Ingredients: 2 eggs, 1/3 cup oil, ¾ cup any milk, 1 tsp vanilla, ½ cup sugar, 1½ cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt, 1
tsp cinnamon, 2 or 3 bananas cut into ½ to 1 inch squares, ½ to 1 cup optional chopped walnuts, ½ to 1 cup optional chopped
dates. Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees, Mix fruit, nuts with dry ingredients, beat wet ingredients together and lightly mix into
dry. Use liners or grease 1½ dozen muffin cups or 1 8" square pan. Fill ¾ full and bake for 30 minutes for muffins, 35 to 40 for pan.
Enjoy!

May your muffins rise to great heights and your kitchen always smell wonderful.

 

I love to hear from readers and would be honored if you would comment and let me know any suggestions or thoughts. If a friend sent you this, you can sign up at my web site, www.heartwingslovenotes.com, where more love notes can be found in the archives.

Blessings and Best Regards,
Tasha Halpert
 

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