Red Heart Muffins for Valentine's Day

These muffins are quick to make and great for little hands to help with. They’ll bring smiles to everyone on Valentine’s Day or any day.

Children can help with getting out bowls and equipment, scooping, measuring, dumping and pouring ingredients. They can place paper liners or grease muffin tins with butter and waxed paper. They’ll love mixing batter and spooning it into the pan. Yes, there might be a bit of extra mess, but the pride and smiles are worth it!

Basic Muffin Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 3/4 cup white sugar

• 1 large egg

• 1/2 cup milk of your choice

• 1/2 cup juice of your choice

• 1/4 cup neutral oil or melted butter

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 to 1 1/2 cups add-ins of your choice

  Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (F)

• Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.

• Beat the egg, sugar, oil, milk, juice and vanilla in a medium bowl until well combined.

• Gently stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients in the large bowl. Don’t overmix!

• Add whatever you want to customize these muffins: chocolate chips, fruit, coconut, sprinkles.

• Spoon into prepared muffin tins and bake for 20 minutes, until the tops spring back when touched.

  For the cranberry orange variety: I used orange juice and added the zest of one orange in the dry mix. I added 1 1/2 cups of frozen whole cranberries.

  Enjoy!