Faking it & Making it Better

Hey-o!  Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix is one of those things that was really hard for me to let go of, because it is simple, inexpensive, and because it’s a comforting image from my childhood.  If you were born in the 50’s, maybe you remember this guy…

if you were born in the 70’s, this is the box you see in your mind…

and it looks just about exactly the same at the grocery today.  Jiffy mixes are still a pretty good bargain, at about $0.60 per box, and I honestly don’t want to take anything away from the Jiffy company, because in many ways, I totally support what they do… it’s a heck of a lot better for you and for your wallet to make a Jiffy mix than to buy a pre-made muffin or bread or cake at the store.

But since I’m kind of on a mission to show my friends that cakes and muffins and pancakes and waffles don’t actually come from boxes, and you can do it healthier, more simply and with less waste and expense yourself, I had to do away with Jiffy.  Also, since I usually make about six times one mix, the pile of waste created in paper packaging every time I had a hankering for a corn muffin was shameful.

Fortunately, others before me have done the measurements and have figured out the proportions, so a copy-cat Jiffy mix recipe, using only the most basic ingredients you already have in your pantry, is easy to find, and I’m making it even easier by copying it here!

2/3 cup flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

1/3 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Just mix these dry ingredients with 1 egg, 2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil, and 1/3 cup of milk and bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  This mix will make about 6 small muffins.  I like to make about six times this amount, which will yield 12-14 giant muffins!  I’ve added that recipe here, so that you don’t have to do the math.  Of course, this recipe is only the base for the goodies you will add… you could make your muffins sweet by adding fruit and honey, or you could make them savory by adding bacon, cheese and onions, like I have done here.  Thank you, Jiffy, for your decades of service and corn-meal inspiration… but we will take it from here.

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