Baker’s Corner Muffin and Quick Bread Mix

“A muffin,” declares Wikipedia, “is an individually portioned baked product.” The site goes on to point out that it can refer either to the flatbread style of an English muffin or the quickbread of an American muffin that is leavened and then baked in a mold. You’re likely to find either kind of muffin in your local grocery store or hotel continental breakfast spread.

Aldi, like most grocers, sells both an English muffin and an American one. If you want speed and convenience, you can grab L’Oven Fresh English Muffins or Bake Shop [American] Muffins right off the shelf. If you’re more of the type of person who likes to bake your own muffins, though, Aldi also sells a couple of varieties of American muffin mix.

Baker’s Corner Muffin and Quick Bread Mix is an Aldi Regular Buy, which means it can be found in stores every day. At the time of this post, the mix cost $1.75 a box. Since each box makes a dozen muffins, it comes out to 14.6 cents a muffin, plus the time and labor to make them. Right now, the muffins come in two varieties: Double Chocolate and Blueberry.

Both boxes come with easy-to-follow instructions on the back for both muffins and quick bread.

Instructions: Double Chocolate at left, Blueberry at right. (Click to enlarge.)

For the most part, the muffins (or quick bread, if you make that instead) aren’t hard to make, especially if you have experience with using mixes like these. Each box lists what you need, so be sure make a note of what you’ve got at home in case you need, say, eggs or vegetable oil. Also, be aware that the blueberries in the blueberry muffin mix are in a can that requires a can opener — something the instructions don’t mention — and since the blueberries also need to be drained and rinsed, a colander is helpful.

Components for the Blueberry Mix. The Double Chocolate, by contrast, is a single bag.

I’m not a baker by nature, but I was able to get these going with minimal help from the resident baker in my house. I benefitted from using paper muffin liners, which made them easier to get out of the baking pan afterward. (We compost our used paper muffin liners.) I scooped the mix into the cups in the baking tin with a 1/4 cup measuring cup, circling back after filling all 12 cups to add enough to even them out.

Both muffin varieties are worth the effort. The double chocolate muffins are delightfully moist and rich, with all the sweetness you’d hope for in a muffin that is both chocolate with chocolate chip. The blueberry muffins are just the right amount of sweetness, coupled with blueberries that add a deeper flavor. Both, in my view, are superior to anything you might pick up ready-made in a store.

Nutritionally, you get what you get. Note that the double chocolate has more calories than the blueberry.

Nutrition: Double Chocolate at left, Blueberry at right. (Click to enlarge.)

The Verdict:

Both versions of the Baker’s Corner Muffin and Quick Bread Mix are a hit, in my view. They win on both taste and texture, and while there’s some work involved with putting them together, the payoff is some very good muffins. If you have the time and ability, I think these are worth it.