Grandma's Muffins

I can provide you with a classic muffin recipe that might remind you of the ones grandma used to make, with an Italian touch.

Ingredients

• 250 g of 00 flour
• 150 g of sugar
• 100 g of melted butter
• 2 eggs
• 125 ml of milk
• 1 sachet of baking powder
• A pinch of salt
• The grated zest of 1 lemon (to add a fresh, homemade touch)
• Optional: a handful of chocolate chips or berries to vary the flavor

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C and prepare a muffin tin by lining the cups with paper liners.
2. In a bowl, mix the flour with the sugar, baking powder, and a pinch of salt.
3. In another bowl, beat the eggs with the milk and melted butter until you obtain a smooth mixture.
4. Add the grated lemon zest to the liquid mixture.
5. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until you obtain a smooth batter, without overmixing (it is important not to mix too much to avoid overactivating the gluten in the flour).
6. If desired, add chocolate chips or berries to the batter and stir gently to distribute them evenly.
7. Divide the batter among the liners, filling them about 2/3 full.
8. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the muffins are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
9. Remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack before serving.

If you want to give your muffins an even more Italian touch, you could add small amounts of typical ingredients like chopped walnuts or almonds to the base batter, or serve them with a dusting of powdered sugar; alternatively, you could enrich them by incorporating ricotta into the batter to make them moister and delicately flavored.

Fun Fact

Muffins originated in the United Kingdom, but have become very popular in the United States and the rest of the world as well. In Italy, muffins are often associated with the idea of a simple snack and comfort food, to be enjoyed with a cup of tea or coffee for a relaxing break.