Grandma's Muffins

I can provide you with a classic muffin recipe that might remind you of the ones your grandmother used to make, with an Italian twist.

Ingredients

• 250 g of all-purpose flour
• 150 g of sugar
• 100 g of melted butter
• 2 eggs
• 125 ml of milk
• 1 packet of baking powder
• 1 pinch of salt
• Grated zest of 1 lemon (to give a fresh and homemade touch)
• Optional: a handful of chocolate chips or berries to vary the flavor

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C and prepare a muffin tin by lining it with paper liners.
2. In a bowl, mix the flour with sugar, baking powder, and a pinch of salt.
3. In another bowl, beat the eggs with the milk and melted butter until the mixture is smooth.
4. Add the grated lemon zest to the liquid mixture.
5. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ones and mix until you get a homogenous batter but don’t overmix (it’s important not to stir too much to avoid activating the flour’s gluten excessively).
6. If desired, add chocolate chips or berries to the batter and gently mix to distribute them evenly.
7. Distribute the batter into the liners, filling them about 2/3 full.
8. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the muffins are golden brown and, if you insert a toothpick, it comes out clean.
9. Remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack before serving.

If you wish to give your muffins an even more Italian touch, you could add small amounts of typical ingredients like chopped nuts or almonds to the basic mixture, or serve them with a dusting of powdered sugar, or you could enrich them by incorporating ricotta into the batter to make them moister and delicately flavored.

Curiosity

Muffins originated in the United Kingdom, but they have become very popular in the United States and the rest of the world. In Italy, muffins are often associated with the idea of a simple snack and comfort food, to be enjoyed with a cup of tea or coffee for a relaxing break.