Copycat version of Costco's Muffins... well, sort of...

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Copycat Version of Costco's Muffins...Well, sort of...But, they are easy to make and really good... Ok, so have you ever had the BIG Costco muffins? Well, every so often my husband craves the blueberry muffins they sell. They are good. So good, you want to eat a whole muffin all by yourself. The only problem is that they are big and you have to buy a bunch. So, I thought I would search the net for a copycat version and came upon this recipe that I was willing to try. I believe the Costco muffins have oil in the recipe... at least I think so. They are just so moist.... I initially looked at the recipe and hesitated to make it for some time...just because it had quite a bit of sugar. But somehow, I kept thinking about it .... would it hurt to try it? I mean, it looked really easy to do. I could just whip it up in no time...and, I could freeze them. Well, I gave the recipe a try. I sort of felt guilty, so I decided to cut down on the sugar and oil, not by much, just enough to make me feel better and actually try it:)...and even after I cut down on the sugar, I still caught myself using a bit less than what I have posted....to sort of compensate for the sugar icing. I also increased the amount of eggs and cut the recipe in half. I think this recipe does come pretty close to the Costco version...not exactly the same, but pretty close:). I guess the original version has you drizzle a sugar/orange juice syrup over the muffins ...which makes them even more moist. I skipped that...as I felt it didn't need it. But I do think this recipe is worth making again. As you can see, I made 2 versions:)...and not on the same day.

Now, this recipe has got to be one of the easiest muffin recipes you can actually make....seriously. You just add all the ingredients in a mixer bowl, mix for 1 to 2 minutes, pour the batter in a muffin tin, and bake. That's it...ok, you might need to add an extra step if you want to do a variation...like topping the muffins with some berries and/or drizzling some icing over them....the icing is purely optional. I just thought it would look pretty:)... There is no creaming, no folding...just mixing. It actually reminds me of the simple directions on a cake mix box...but this is much better, as it is homemade. This is a basic recipe for muffins that can easily be adapted to make a variety of flavors. I chose to do an almond poppy seed and a blueberry version....next time, I will try a walnut cinnamon crumb version. Since the batter uses oil, you will need to add some kind of flavoring to compensate for the lack of butter. I am sure you can add some butter flavoring. I love to add lemon/orange peel...and additional flavor such as vanilla/almond etc. These muffins freeze very well. I actually prefer freezing them as the flavors get even more pronounced. If you make them, please let me know how you like them. Of course, feel free to make the original recipe. Hope you enjoy...

You will need: makes 12 muffins inspired by this recipe

1 1/2 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup oil

1 cup sugar( I have caught myself using a bit less:)

2 tsp-1 TBS poppy seeds( depends on how much you like poppy seeds...I used 1 TBS)

2 eggs

1 tsp almond extract or to taste

1 tsp vanilla extract or to taste

lemon peel/orange zest (optional...though it gives it great flavor)

Directions:

In a mixer bowl, add all the ingredients. With a mixer,mix all ingredients for about 1 to 2 minutes. Pour into greased muffin tins or paper muffin cups.

Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees or until muffin springs back when gently poked. Do keep an eye on them as every oven is different. Watch it at the 20 minute mark and go from there... you might even need to bake them a bit longer than 25 minutes. Mine took about 20 minutes. Not sure if it is the altitude...

If making Blueberry Muffin Variation:

Omit poppy seed and top with blueberries about 10-12 blueberries per muffin or to taste. I still used the almond and vanilla flavoring. next time, I think I would like to add a few blueberries in the middle of the batter as well.

I also decided to drizzle an orange flavored powdered sugar icing. I put about 3-4 TBS powdered sugar in a plastic bag added a a couple of drops of water with a bit of orange flavor and mixed it to a drizzling consistency. If it is too runny,add a bit more sugar. If too dry, add a bit more water. You can easily add some orange juice instead of the water and some orange zest. Adjust according to taste. Snip a small corner from the bag and drizzle over muffins.