How to Bake: Muffins (with recipes)

Muffins are a mainstay around our house. They are as nourishing as they are good to eat. They are quicker and easier to make than cookies and usually contain much less sugar and fat. We usually eat them for breakfast but like them with any meal. (For Easter, we served cranberry nut muffins with a ham dinner.) They work well for snacks and desserts as well. Extras can be frozen and heated in the microwave for hot muffins anytime.

Today we will make muffins using the "muffin method". (Just as there are two major makeup methods for quick breads, there are two methods for muffins-the muffin method and the creaming method.) In the muffin method, the liquids and the dry ingredients are mixed separately and then stirred together until just combined. We will include tips and instructions to make the perfect muffin and some streusel and topping recipes to crown your creations with.

To make muffins using the muffin method, choose a favorite muffin recipe that does not call for the creaming of sugar into the fat. (Look for a recipe that calls for oil or melted butter.)

In preparation, grease the muffin tins. We like the spray oils from an aerosol can to reach the corners of the tins. Be sure to cover the top edges where the muffins will flow when baking. (You can use paper liners but since the batter adheres slightly to the paper, you will have slightly less volume to the muffins.)

Set the oven to preheat. Temperature is one of the secrets to those nicely domed muffins that you find in the better bake shops. Commercial ovens use precise heat settings and timers. In the kitchen, we can approximate those results by:

? Making sure that the oven is completely heated before baking. We like to let the oven sit at full temperature for at least ten minutes before baking so that the heat is well-absorbed into the structure of the oven.

? Closing the door as quickly as possible to keep the heat trapped.

? Setting the temperature at a higher initial setting and lowering the temperature later. The higher heat creates a burst of steam that lifts the batter.

? Placing the muffins in the upper third of the oven where it tends to be hotter and more constant.

Always measure flour precisely using a scale if you have one. Muffin recipes are sensitive to the ratio of flour to liquid. Too much flour and the muffin will not rise properly and will be dry. Too little flour and the muffin will flow over the edges of the muffin cup rather than dome nicely. If you need to fine tune your favorite recipe, change the flour by a tablespoon or two.

To make cake-like muffins, use a lower protein flour-cake or pastry flour. Higher protein all purpose or bread flours will make a muffin that is chewier and more bread-like.

Back to the mixing:

Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl to make sure that the baking powder and other ingredients are well combined. Set aside.

Whisk the egg in a separate bowl with a French whip or fork. Add the other liquids and whisk again. (Some recipes will instruct you to stir the sugar and salt into the liquids, rather than add them to the dry ingredients, to make sure that they dissolve completely and are evenly dispersed. We prefer to do this with all muffin recipes that are not creamed.)

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the liquid all at once. Stir with a spatula until mixed well and moistened-some lumps will remain. Do not over stir-stirring too much will develop the gluten in the flour and the muffin will not be tender and crumbly. To avoid over stirring, we prefer a spatula to an electric mixer.

If you are using fruit in your muffins, fold them in gently at the end of your mixing with a minimum number of folds. Fruit crushes easily in the thick batter and the juice will stain the batter.

Fill the muffin tins with a large spoon or ice cream scoop. Make sure that the muffin tins are evenly filled so that they bake evenly. Most recipes direct that the muffin tins be filled 2/3's full to allow room for expansion. If your batter is at the right consistency, you can fill the tins for a nice dome on the muffins.

Bake the muffins until they are a light golden brown. The muffin top should spring back when gently pressed with the finger and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Over-baked muffins will be dry and tough. Under baked muffins may be moist and heavy.

It is easy to tear apart hot muffins trying to lift them from the tins. Instead, let the muffins sit for a few minutes and you should be able to easily lift them out intact. Place them on wire racks to continue cooling.

Muffins are best served hot and do not keep well beyond the first day. Freeze any extras.

Now for those streusel recipes that we promised:

Brown Sugar and Nut Streusel Topping

1/2 cup walnut pieces

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon cold butter

1. Chop the walnuts into small pieces.
2. Stir the walnuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon together.
3. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry knife or two table knives.
4. Spoon the streusel mixture over the muffin batter evenly before baking.

Cinnamon-Sugar Topping

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon good quality cinnamon

6 tablespoons butter, melted

Mix the cinnamon and sugar together in a bowl. When you remove the muffins from the tins, dip the still hot muffins in the butter and then roll the tops in the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Dennis Weaver is the general manager at The Prepared Pantry (http://www.preparedpantry.com) with recipes, ideas, and the best selection of mixes and ingredients. Visit the free Bakers' Library for more articles like this, free baking guides, and tested recipes.

---

Perfect Picnics - Frugal Food Safety Tips

Summer is finally here and for a lot of us... Read More

10 Smoky Tips To BBQ Food Safely

Cooking outdoors was once only a summer activity shared with... Read More

How to Grill Most Any Vegetable You Can Think Of!

Grilling vegetables is easy. The fact that more people don't... Read More

Troubleshooting Cookies

If your cookies are too tough . . . You... Read More

Preparing Lobster Tails

Lobster, once the food of poor farmers, is now considered... Read More

The Wonderful Wok: Stir Frying Basics

Want to enjoy the tantalizing taste of Asian food at... Read More

Peppercorns & Ways To Use Them

New and exciting varieties of peppercorns are becoming available to... Read More

Two for One Dinners: Turkey

If you find leftovers boring, uninviting or downright "yuck," then... Read More

Bread in the Woods

We really like fresh bread while we're camping. There is... Read More

Slimming Secrets From The Kitchen

To get the svelte figure, start in the kitchen. Slimming... Read More

How to Cook a Lobster

French chefs plunge them into boiling water; English ones, in... Read More

Using Bread Machine Mixes in Your Oven

You don't have to own a bread machine to enjoy... Read More

Seasoning An Oven

Untreated cast iron rusts, especially around water. To prevent metal... Read More

Chinese Cooking Technique: Thicken

"Thicken", or "Thickening" is a very common technique used in... Read More

Wok this Way! (Part 3 of 5) Seasoning Your New Wok

Seasoning is the most important thing you can do to... Read More

Ten Proven Tips to Buy the Best Meat Available

Ten Proven Tips to buy the Best Meat AvailableAs you... Read More

Cooking Lobster at Home

Lobster has always be one of those extravagant meals which... Read More

Easy Herb Butters

Since herbs are plentiful this time of year, why not... Read More

A Cookie Assembly Line: Efficient Cookie Baking for Busy Cooks

As a busy working mother, I'm short on time, especially... Read More

Herbs and Spices - the Essence of Flavor

In any number of cookbooks and recipes you will find... Read More

10 Simple Kitchen Organizing Tips

A lot of the times we mean to get in... Read More

Reductions: Proving Less is More

Any liquid can be reduced just by heating it -... Read More

The Barbecue Pit

The barbecue pit has been around since 1920,s and it... Read More

The Right Grill for Your Barbecue

Barbecue is a mix of talents. There is the choice... Read More

Compact Refrigerators Are Great When Small Is Needed

The small refrigerator can be used in many places that... Read More

Modifying Your Recipes, More or Less

You just found that great recipe that you have been... Read More

The World of Cornbread

We're partial to cornbread. We like its rustic texture and... Read More

How to cut a cake

Have you ever wondered how to cut a cake? I... Read More

6 Steps to Grill the Perfect Steak

There's nothing better than a nicely grilled juicy steak.But how... Read More

Kitchenaid Stand Mixers ? A Kitchen Work Horse

Kitchenaid stand mixers are very popular in today's kitchens and... Read More

10 Convenient Ways To Eliminate Food Poisoning With Your Microwave

Microwave ovens can play an important role at mealtime, but... Read More

Whisk Your Way To a Perfect Meal Every Time!

The whisk. A true versatile cooking utensil. Whisks come in... Read More

Buying, Storing, and Preparing Apples

When buying apples, look for those that are firm and... Read More