Gastronomy: A Good Muffin is Hard to Come By—Simply Delicious Sugar-Topped Muffins

This week I offered to bring muffins to a friend’s house for a Valentine’s brunch. The moment it flew out of my mouth, I thought, "what were you thinking?" To put it mildly, I don't enjoy baking. I LOVE to cook, but cooking and baking are not one in the same. Cooking allows a certain amount of creative license—add a bit of extra salt, substitute herbs, or swap broths and the recipe may change slightly, but certainly will not be ruined. Baking is just the opposite—an eighth of a teaspoon more salt and your cake might be bitter causing it unfit for human consumption. Those kinds of odds are not for me.

After scanning through my twenty-odd-some cookbooks, browsing the Internet, and not finding one muffin recipe to take to someone’s house untested, I decided to settle on an old stand-by recipe our mother has made for years. But, to my surprise, I definitely didn't "settle." These muffins are far from mediocre—they’re buttery, flaky, and the perfect combination of savory and sweet. The best part about them is that they’re incredibly easy to make and virtually full-proof, even for someone who doesn't bake often. I made them with fresh raspberries for Valentine's Day, but you can substitute any fruit (fresh or frozen). These no-fuss muffins were a big hit at the brunch and simply delicious.

Sugar-Topped Muffins
1 c milk
1/2 c butter, melted
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 c flour
1/3 c sugar
1 T baking powder
1 t salt
1 c fresh or frozen fruit of choice

Topping:
1/4 c melted butter
1/4 c sugar

Heat oven to 400 degrees. In large bowl, combine milk, butter, and egg. Add all remaining muffin ingredients, except fruit. Stir just until flour is moistened. Gently stir in fruit. Spoon in paper-lined 12 cup muffin pan. Bake for 24-28 minutes or until golden brown.

Dip tops of muffins in melted butter, than in sugar. Serves 12.

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