Saturday Share: Magic Muffins Recipe

Everyone seems to be getting back to the basics during this COVID era.

There are more cooks in the kitchen, amateur gardeners planting seeds, and DIY wannabes tackling all kinds of home improvements.

Often, we want comfort food. I remembered the Magic Muffins my mom made when I was a child.

If you've never known the simple pleasure of hot cooked cereal in the morning, allow me to introduce you to Malt-O-Meal, a cook-on-the-stove wheat cereal that's easy to make and delicious to eat.

A Little Cereal History

Chances are your grandparents or great grandparents at this hot cereal because it's been around 101 years. Many people have never heard of it. It was invented by John Campbell, a miller in Owatonna, Minnesota. I guess Post, the company that now owns the brand, doesn't advertise it.

Campbell founded a company in 1919 to produce his combination of malted wheat and farina wheat with the intention of competing with a similar product Cream of Wheat.

Malt-O-Meal is more finely ground than cream of wheat, it cooks in about a minute, and has a smooth creamy texture.

After cooking, you let it set for about a minute which allows it to thicken. Serve with fresh fruit and nuts, a little honey or sugar—brown sugar is especially good with it.

I usually add chopped pecans, a scant spoonful of brown sugar or honey, and chopped banana or apple. It all depends on what fruit and nuts I have on hand. Add a little milk if it's too thick.

In recent years, I've found it hard to find this old-fashioned cereal in grocery stores. However, I did find it on Amazon.

For Prime subscribers, you can get a 3 box package (36 ounces in each box) for $19.89. It's worth ordering. Give a box to a friend and introduce her/him to Malt-O-Meal.

Magic Muffins

When Mom made Magic Muffins for breakfast, it was a special treat. In the winter, these hot out of the oven muffins seemed to warm us from the inside out.

The original recipe can be found on the box of Malt-O-Meal, but I've changed it up a little. I'll confess, if we come home late at night from an evening out, I'll sometimes make us a bowl of Malt-O-Meal if we're just a little hungry. It's easy to make, light, and easy on the digestive system too.

Magic Muffins My Way

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (*if you use self-rising flour, don't add the salt and baking powder)
• 3/4 cup Original Malt-O-Meal hot wheat cereal, uncooked
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (if you like it a little sweeter, make it 2/3 cup)
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon baking powder*
• 1/2 teaspoon salt*
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat over to 400 F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and stir together.
3. Beat the egg in a small bowl. Add the oil, milk, and vanilla and stir together.
4. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixutre and stir together.
5. Pour into the paper-lined cups of a muffin pan. This should fill each "cup" 3/4 full.
6. Bake 18 to 20 minutes until golden on top or until the center is firm when touched.
7. Serve hot with a dollop of butter.
8. Makes 12 muffins.
9. Store any leftover muffins in a closed container in the fridge.

Muffin Baking Tip

I use paper liners for a muffin tin or the silicone baking cups my daughter gave me from Amazon.

I place the silicone cups in the well of the muffin tin. You can just place them on a cookie sheet, but I think they work better in the muffin tin.

They're BPA free, and you can store the finished baked goods in them in the fridge, freeze them, and even microwave them to warm leftover muffins.

You can warm them in the oven by placing on a small cookie sheet, never directly on the rack. They're really versatile and can be washed in the dishwasher too!

Takeaway Truth

I hope you'll try these muffins. Let me know if you like them!