Muffins are easy peasy to make yet there is one rule that can make or break your muffins: do not overbeat. You can stir the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients separately as much as your heart desires, but once they’re combined you should only beat until they are just combined. The muffins are at their best when freshly made, but they can be tightly wrapped in plastic or stored in an airtight container for a day or two.
Start by beating butter and sugar then into a mixing bowl then whisk in the egg until thoroughly blended and then whisk in the milk. At this point, you would also mix in additions that you like such as lemon zest and/or vanilla or almond extract. Whisk in the sugar then add the baking powder, salt and one-third of the flour, whisking until completely incorporated. Whisk in another third of the flour.
For blueberry muffins, add 1 teaspoon of finely grated lemon zest to the liquids. After mixing the batter, fold in 1 1/2 cups of rinsed, dried, and picked-over (or frozen) blueberries. Use 2 tablespoons of sugar mixed with 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon to sprinkle over the tops of the muffins before baking.
For chocolate chip muffins, add 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract to the liquids. After mixing the batter, fold in 1 cup of your choice of chocolate chips. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with sugar (2 tablespoons total) before baking.
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