Raisin muffins are small cakes with raisins in them, generally made from eggs, milk, and flour. The mixture is placed into small — usually paper — cups, and then rises in the oven to form a cupcake-shaped cake. Ordinarily, the raisins are mixed into the muffin mixture before it is placed into the cups so that they are randomly distributed throughout the muffin. Many different ingredients can also be added to raisin muffins, such as oats, peaches, and other dried fruits. Most chefs simply mix all of the ingredients together, whisking them until they are combined, and then placing them into the cases before oven baking.
Any muffins which have raisins in them can be classed as raisin muffins. Generally, they can be thought of as small cakes, made in ordinary cake cups, and they usually rise up to become bigger at the top. A raisin muffin is basically the same as a cupcake, except without any icing and with raisins mixed in throughout. As long as the muffin has raisins in, it can be called a raisin muffin, even if the raisins are only one of several ingredients used in them.
Many different ingredients can be combined with raisins within raisin muffins. Chefs often choose oats and honey as a combination with raisins. Other dried fruits can also be added, such as peaches. A variety of other ingredients can be added to raisin muffins as well, and these are only limited by the imagination of the chef.
The general process of making raisin muffins is the same for most chefs and throughout most different recipes. Chefs first mix together the dry ingredients, such as raisins, flour, baking powder, a pinch of salt, and some sugar. The wet ingredients, such as eggs, milk, and oil, are then added to the mixture and the entire thing is whisked thoroughly. Sometimes, chefs prefer to pre-mix the wet ingredients before adding them to the dry ingredients.
Once the mixture for the raisin muffins has been combined to form smooth batter, the mixture is spooned into the cake cups. Some chefs then opt to add a topping of sugar and cinnamon to add more flavors to the muffins. The oven is usually heated to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (218 Celsius) and the mixture is cooked for around 15 minutes. Muffins rise in the oven, as a result of the baking powder or self-rising flour added to the mixture.