Sour Cream Muffins

I recently checked out a great book from the library called, "The Ultimate Muffin Book" that was chock full of awesome muffin recipes. The book contains 100 base recipes for muffins and then includes tons of variations on each recipe, boasting over 600 recipes in all. The book also had tons of great tips for good baking and how you could make your own ultimate muffin.

Last week I baked a batch of Sour Cream Muffins, from the cookbook, that were so delicious. The sour cream added a yummy tang to the muffin and I loved that the recipe didn't require any butter or oil. The muffins were moist and chewy and I added a cup of chocolate chips to sweeten them up.

The only disappointment was that the muffins really stuck to the muffin liners and made it difficult to remove them. I think next time that I will just spray the pan really well instead of using the liners on these. My husband didn't like the chocolate chip addition, but everyone else in the house did, so next time I will do some plain ones for him.

The biggest fan of the muffins had to be Emily. Judging by her plate, she had no problems with the chocolate chips at all!

Sour Cream Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup sour cream (regular, low-fat, or nonfat)

2/3 cup milk (whole, low-fat, or nonfat)

1 teaspoon vanilla

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. To prepare the muffin tins, spray the indentations and the rims around them with nonstick spray, or line the indentations with paper muffin cups. If using silicon muffin tins,, spray as directed, then place the tins on a baking sheet. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until uniform. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and sour cream until smooth then whisk in the milk and vanilla extract. Stir int he flour mixture with a wooden spoon until incorporated. Fill the prepared tins three-quarters full. Bake for 18 minutes, or until the tops are lightly browned but smooth. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for ten minutes. Release muffins from the tin. If storing or freezing them, cool them completely before sealing in an airtight container or in freezer-safe plastic bags. The muffins will stay fresh for up to 24 hours at room temperature or up to one month in the freezer.

Variations:

Banana Walnut Sour Cream Muffins- add 1/2 cup chopped dried banana & 1/2 cup chopped walnuts with the flour.

Blueberry Sour Cream Muffins- Add 1 cup dried blueberries with flour.

Cherry Sour Cream Muffins- Add 1 cup dried cherries with the flour.

Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Muffins- Add 1 cup semisweet or milk chocolate chips with the flour.

Cranberry Sour Cream Muffins- Add 1 cup dried cranberries with the flour.

Raisin Sour Cream Muffins- Add 1 cup raisins with the flour.

Coconut Sour Cream Muffins- Add 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut with the flour.