Miko Muffins

My daughter is 12 years old, and although I've been trying to teach her the basics of cooking for years, she has recently taken an interest in baking (yes, there is a huge difference).  Yesterday at the grocery store, she grabbed a box of muffin mix and said "Mom, I want to make these!"  Muffin... MIX???  At $2.99 a box??  ARE YOU INSANE??  Muffins are probably the singularly easiest thing to bake.  They were the first thing we were taught to make in Home Ec class... and chances are you've probably got everything to make them already in your kitchen.  She grabbed a bag of white chocolate chips (ugh... white chocolate is a crime against nature if you ask me), and off we went.

MIKO MUFFINS

Makes 12

2 C all-purpose flour
1/3 C light brown sugar
1/3 C granulated sugar
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
2/3 C milk
1/2 c butter (one stick), melted and cooled
2 eggs, beaten
1 t. vanilla
1 12 oz. package white chocolate chips (yes, the whole bag)
(if I were making them, I would have added 1/2 C or so of chopped macadamia nuts also, but this was her project so I let it slide... this time...)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease 12 muffin cups (we use paper liners... much easier clean-up).

Melt butter in a medium bowl in the microwave.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugars, baking powder, and salt.  Whisk milk, eggs, and vanilla into the butter until thoroughly combined.  Add wet ingredients into dry, and stir JUST until moistened.  The batter will be lumpy... this is okay.  Gently fold in chips (and nuts, if using).

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.  Bake for about 20 minutes, or until pick inserted in center of muffin comes out clean.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove to cooling rack.  Serve warm (if you can wait that long).  Viola!  It's so easy even a 12 year old can do it!