Heat oven to 400°.
Grease bottoms only of about 12 medium muffin cups, 2 1/2 x 1 1/4 inches.
Beat egg; stir in milk, nuts, oil and honey.
Stir in remaining ingredients all at once just until flour is moistened (batter will be lumpy).
Fill muffin cups about 3/4 cup full; sprinkle with sugar if desired.
Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Immediately remove from pan.Blueberry Muffins: Stir in 1 cup fresh or 3/4 cup frozen blueberries (thawed and well drained) with the milk.
Sprinkle tops with mixture of 1/4 cup packed brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon before baking if desired.
Bran Muffins: Increase milk to 1 1/2 cups.
Pour milk over 1 1/2 cups whole bran cereal; let stand 2 minutes.
Stir in with the oil.
Fruit Muffins: Stir in 1 medium apple, pared and chopped, 1/2 cup raisins and 1 tablespoon finely shredded orange peel with the milk and 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice with the flour.
Pumpernickel Muffins: Substitute molasses for the honey, and rye flour for the whole wheat flour; omit nuts.
Stir in 2 tablespoons caraway seed with the flour if desired.
Seed Muffins: Omit nuts.
Stir in 1/2 cup sunflower nuts and 1 tablespoon poppy seed with the milk.