Home-Made Muffins

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If you've ever dropped by a diner or coffee shop, you've undoubtedly spied an assortment of muffins nestled on a cake stand or behind a glass pastry case. Plump, moist and overflowing with chips, berries and/or nuts, they bear a striking resemblance to cupcakes.

Muffins weren't always the oversized, well-preserved, calorie-laden sweets that we consume today. When they first popped up in early 18th century Europe, they closely resembled bread. In fact, even the name "muffin" came from an old French term for soft bread, "moufflet."

Light, circular and honeycombed inside, the original muffins consisted of milk, flour, yeast and salt. Cooked on a bakestone placed on or near a fire, they were the precursor to what Americans would call "English muffins."

During the 19th century these spongy pastries peaked in popularity. They became so beloved that muffin sellers would stroll the streets of London, ringing bells at teatime, feverishly peddling their freshly baked goods.

Around this same time Americans began crafting their own recipes for muffins. Unlike the European versions, which contained yeast, theirs were leavened with baking powder or soda and possessed a coarser texture.

The differences didn't end here. While English muffins were cooked in individual, bottomless rings on top of a griddle, these new muffins were baked in tins inside the oven.

The latter often contained moderate amounts of fat, egg and sugar, while the former had none. Additionally, the American spinoff could be either sweet or savory. Some even contained dried fruits, nuts, grated vegetables or fresh berries.

Although these muffins differed greatly from their English forebears, they remained fairly grainy, dry and less sweet than cake. Unlike modern, store-bought offerings, they didn't bring to mind unfrosted cupcakes.

While the texture and taste may have changed over the years, the key to making a perfect American-style muffin has remained the same.

First and foremost, don't over-mix the ingredients. In this rare instance, a lumpy batter is a good batter, one that will produce light, evenly raised muffins. For best results, fold the wet ingredients into the dry until just blended.

To achieve a consistent shape, use an ice cream scoop to portion out the batter. Fill each muffin cup two-thirds to three-quarters full. The baking batter will then rise gently over the top of each cup to form a domed-shaped crust. If you spoon out too little batter, the muffin may rise too high and too quickly; it will eventually collapse at its center. Spoon out too much and the batter may overflow from the muffin cup and never rise completely.

For even baking, place the muffin pan on the center rack of a preheated oven. If baking more than a batch at once, rotate the pans from back to front and bottom to top about halfway through the baking time.

To avoid soggy muffins, remove them from their baking pans before cooling completely. The same holds true for cooling English muffins.

Because muffins generally contain little fat, they tend to go stale quickly and are best eaten within a few hours of baking. To prolong their shelf life by a day, add more butter or oil to the recipe.

To create airy English muffins, a few basic rules apply. For the best muffin shape, cook the dough in greased English muffin or egg poaching rings. If you cannot easily locate these rings, substitute them with smooth, circular, 3-inch wide cookie cutters or emptied and washed tuna cans with the tops and bottoms removed.

Place the muffin rings on a lightly oiled griddle and cook the muffins until lightly brown on the bottom, about five minutes. Flip them over and cook the other side until golden brown, roughly another five minutes.

Split the steaming hot muffins open with a fork or your fingers. Toast them until crisp and golden. Serve hot with a dab of butter and orange marmalade or strawberry jam.

Whether cooking an authentic English muffin or baking an Americanized version, homemade muffins are one of the simplest, most delectable offerings to come out of the kitchen.

Red Currant Muffins

Makes 16 to 18 standard size muffins

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 eggs

3/4 cup milk

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 cup fresh red currants, washed and dried (If you cannot find red currants, chopped fresh or frozen cranberries will also work in this recipe.)

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Grease the muffin tins. (Note: If you're using silicone muffins cups, these do not need to be greased.)

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt and baking powder, and then make a well in the center of the ingredients. In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar and butter. Pour the wet ingredients into the well of the dry ingredients and stir together until just combined.

Fold in the currants and spoon the mixture into the greased muffin tins or ungreased silicone muffin cups, filling about 2/3 to 3/4 of each muffin cup. (If using silicone muffin cups, these should be placed on an ungreased cookie sheet before being inserted into the oven.) Bake for 18 to 23 minutes, until golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean.

Cinnamon-Raisin English Muffins

Based upon a recipe from the Culinary Institute of America's "Breakfast and Brunches"

(Lebhar-Friedman Books, 2005)

Makes 12 muffins

1 1/2 teaspoons dry active yeast

1 cup warm water

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra to flour the work surface

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup raisins, roughly chopped

Cooking spray

Using cooking spray, lightly oil insides of 12 muffin or egg poaching rings (or 3-inch cookie cutters or tuna cans with the bottoms and tops removed).

Place the yeast and warm water in a large bowl and stir until the yeast is completely dissolved. Let the yeast rest until foamy, about 5 minutes.

Add the 3 cups of flour, butter, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Using an electric stand mixer and dough hook, mix the ingredients together on low until well blended, about 2 minutes.

Increase the speed to medium high and mix until the dough is smooth, about 5 minutes. Add the raisins and stir to combine.

Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl. Cover, place in a warm spot and allow the dough to rise until double in size, about 2 hours.

Fold the dough gently over on itself three to four times and then place it on a clean, lightly floured work surface. Divide it into 12 equal parts and shape these parts into rounds. Place the rounds inside 12 muffin or egg poaching rings, cookie cutters or tuna cans. Cover and allow to rise slightly, about 30 minutes.

Preheat a griddle or, if unavailable, a large, non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Lightly spray the surface with cooking oil.

Place the English muffins in their rings on the preheated surface and cook until lightly brown on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Gently turn them over and cook until the other side is also browned, about 5 minutes. Remove the muffins from the pan and place them on a wire rack. Remove the rings and allow them to cool slightly before splitting them open and toasting.

Note: For plain English muffins, simply withhold the cinnamon and raisins from the dough.

Zucchini-Sultana Muffins

Makes 2 dozen muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

4 eggs, at room temperature

1 cup canola oil

1 1/2 cups finely shredded zucchini

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup sultanas (golden raisins)

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Grease the muffin tins. Note that if using silicone muffins cups, these do not need to be greased.

In a medium-sized bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves. Set aside.

Place the sugar and eggs in large bowl and, using an electric hand or stand mixer, beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. With the mixer still running, slowly add the canola oil and beat for another 2 to 3 minutes, until well blended. Add the zucchini and the vanilla and blend the ingredients together. Stir in the raisins.

Fold in the dry, sifted ingredients. All the ingredients should be evenly moistened. Do not over-mix.

Spoon the batter into the greased muffin tins or ungreased silicone muffin cups, filling about 2/3 to 3/4 of each muffin cup. (If using silicone muffin cups, these should be placed on an ungreased cookie sheet before being inserted into the oven.) Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean.

 

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