Sour Cream Muffins

1 ¾ C (8 ¾ oz/252 g) all-purpose flour
1 t (4 g) baking soda
½ t (3 g) salt
1/8 t ground nutmeg
1 C (8 oz/230 g) sour cream
½ C (3 ¾ oz/99 g) granulated sugar
½ C (1 stick/113 g) unsalted butter, melted
1 t (5 ml) vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
Demerara (raw) sugar for garnish (optional)

Position oven rack in middle position and heat to 350° F (170° C). Lightly coat a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray or line with muffin liners.

In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. In liquid measuring cup or medium bowl, whisk together sour cream, sugar, melted butter, vanilla and eggs. Pour wet ingredients into dry and using spatula or large spoon, fold and mix until just incorporated. Do not over mix. Batter will be thick.

Fill muffin tins evenly, ½ to 2/3 full. Sprinkle tops with demerara sugar.

Bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or has a few moist crumbs attached. Rotate pan one half turn midway through baking. Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes before removing muffins from pan to cool completely.

Adaptations: This recipe is fantastic for add-ins (blueberries, chocolate chips, lemon zest, etc.). I recommend adding extra dry add-ins with dry ingredients so they are coated with flour and then mix extra gently when adding wet ingredients. Plain muffins are also delicious dipping tops in butter (after baking) and then in cinnamon and sugar.

Makes: 12 muffins

19 Feb 18 – Susan picked out the recipe and I like the idea of a plain muffin that could be variously enhanced different jellies, for example strawberry and lemon curd. The recipe is very simple and straight forward both in regards to ingredients and preparation. I followed the recipe as written chosing to use paper liners over no liners. I also, as suggested could be, substituted melted butter for the coconut oil. Nothing usual about preparing the dry or wet ingredients. When combined, it produced a nice thick batter which was easy to portion out using my large (1 ¼ in scoop) filling each cup approximately 2/3 full. Although not in original recipe, I sprinkled each muffin with Demerara (raw) sugar. Baked in island oven for 16 ½ mins which may have been 1 minute longer than necessary. The finished texture was moist but firm. The muffins crowned nicely. The nutmeg flavor was suttle but noticeable and good. The shelf life would have been better without the demerara which tended to melt on day 1 and 2.