Avoid overmixing to make best muffins

As winter fluctuates between cold and less cold, one thing remains the same — the need for quick and easy meal ideas.

Muffins are great for grab-and-go breakfasts. If you make them yourself, they can be healthy, too. I have made many kinds of muffins, but normally just use quick bread batter baked into a muffin shape. This works great, but I do like trying real muffin recipes every now and then.

Real muffins can be tricky, though. Fortunately, I got a good tip from a judge at the Oconto County Fair. She said to be careful not to overmix the dough. Although this may sound strange, it is essential to prevent hard, tough muffins.

Cinnamon-blueberry muffins are yet another recipe that I’ve modified. The original recipe, mixed-berry muffins, is from “The Complete Cookbook for Young Scientists.” I only had blueberries around when I decided to make this recipe. So, that’s what I used. I added cinnamon for a little flavor.

These muffins turned out quite good. They were not impossibly soft and cake-like, like mass-produced muffins. Instead, they were firm enough to provide a little chew, yet soft enough to be easily pressed between two fingers to half its original size with a lovely spring-back when released.

These muffins are fairly simple to make, with the only difficult thing being knowing how long to mix. The trick is mixing only long enough so that the ingredients are combined. If you feel like mixing the batter just a little bit more, it’s probably fine, stop mixing.

My family was blessed with an over-abundance of potatoes last year. As this is the time of year that potatoes start to sprout, I have been experimenting with different ways to cook potatoes.

Making homemade fries is a great way to use up potatoes. Any kind of potatoes will work, but Yukon gold potatoes have worked out the best for me.

Any kind of oil works well. You could even just spritz the fries with cooking spray if you are avoiding too much oil. I like using olive oil, since it is a little healthier than other oils. The kinds of seasonings are completely optional. I like using Nature’s seasoning and chili powder for a little flavor, but almost anything will do.

One of my favorite things about making homemade fries is how quick and easy it is. They are literally in the oven in minutes. While it does have at least 20 minutes of cooking time, that time can be spent throwing together the rest of the meal.

I like making homemade fries after a long day at work. Pair them with some vegetables, fruits, and/or protein and you’ve got a complete meal.Francesca Ullmer, the second child of a large homeschooled family, is from the Krakow area. She enjoys baking, reading, knitting, raising goats, and entering numerous items in the Oconto County Fair.

CINNAMON-BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tbsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup plain yogurt

1 large egg

4 tbsp. butter, melted and cooled

3/4 cup blueberries, tossed with about 1 tbsp. flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 12-muffin tin with cooking spray. Melt the butter, set aside. Whisk together the dry ingredients. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt and egg. Add the yogurt mixture to the flour mixture — use a rubber spatula to stir gently to combine. There should be little to no dry flour visible. Gently stir in the melted butter — try not to overmix. Carefully stir in the blueberries. Use a 1/3 cup dry measuring cup to divide batter evenly among muffin cups, using a rubber spatula to scrape batter from measuring cups if needed. Smooth tops of muffins. Bake for 15-25 minutes; until muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let muffins cool in the muffin tin for 10 minutes. Use your fingertips to gently wiggle muffins to loosen from tin and transfer to a wire rack. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

HOMEMADE FRIES

3-4 Yukon gold potatoes

1-2 tbsp. olive oil

Seasonings such as salt, pepper, chili powder, and Nature’s Seasoning

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Peel and slice potatoes into strips, French fry sized. Soak potatoes in ice water for at least a minute, drain. In the same bowl, pour olive oil over the fries. Sprinkle with desired seasonings, toss with a fork to coat evenly. Spread fries evenly on baking sheet. Using the air fry option on the oven, or an air fryer, fry fries on 430 degrees for 15 minutes, stir. Fry for an additional 10-15 minutes or until desired crispiness. Place fries on a plate lined with a paper towel or napkin, sprinkle with additional seasoning if needed. Serve warm.