Muffin
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| Origin | |
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| Place of origin | United States |
| Type | Semi-sweet cake |
A muffin (American-style muffin in the UK) is a type of semi-sweet cake or quick bread that is baked in portions appropriate for one person. They are similar to cupcakes, although they are usually less sweet and lack icing. Savory varieties, such as cornbread muffins or cheese muffins also exist.
The term also refers to a disk-shaped muffin bread, called an English muffin outside the United Kingdom. As American-style muffins are also available in Commonwealth countries, the term muffin can refer to either product, with the context usually making clear which is meant.
There are many varieties such as low-fat and flavors of muffins made with a specific ingredient such as blueberries, chocolate chips, poppy seeds, raspberry, cinnamon, pumpkin, date, nut, lemon, banana, orange, peach, strawberry, boysenberry, almond, and carrot, baked into the muffin. Muffins are often eaten for breakfast; alternatively, they may be served for tea or at other meals.
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History
Recipes for muffins, in their yeast-free "American" form, are common in 19th century American cookbooks.[1][2] Recipes for yeast-based muffins, which were sometimes called "common muffins" or "wheat muffins" in 19th century American cookbooks, can be found in much older cookbooks. In her Boston Cooking-School Cook Book, Fannie Farmer gave recipes for both types of muffins, both those that used yeast to raise the dough and those that used a quick bread method, using muffin rings to shape the English muffins. Farmer indicated that stove top "baking", as is done with yeast dough, was a useful method when baking in an oven was not practical.
Types of muffin
Poppyseed muffin
Poppyseed muffins are one of the most popular types of muffin, especially in the United States. It is known both for the unique flavor of the poppy seed and for the false drug test results it can bring about due to trace amounts of narcotics, such as morphine.
English muffin
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The English muffin is a type of yeast-leavened bread; generally about 4 inches round and 1 1/2 inches tall. Rather than being oven-baked, they are cooked in a griddle on the stove top and flipped from side-to-side, which results in their typical flattened shape rather than the rounded top seen in baked rolls or cake-type muffins.[3] English muffins are usually split in two, toasted, traditionally in front of an open fire or stove using a toasting fork, and served hot with butter. Muffins are also served as a snack at cafes or split and filled like a sandwich.
Corn muffin
Muffins made from cornmeal are popular in the United States. Though corn muffins can simply be muffin shaped cornbread, corn muffins tend to be sweeter. Similar to the pan variety, corn muffins can be eaten with butter or as a side dish with stews or chili.
Muffin cups
Muffin cups or cases are usually round sheets of paper, foil, or silicone[4] with scallop-pressed edges, giving the muffin a round cup shape. They are used in the baking of muffins to line the bottoms of muffin tins, to facilitate the easy removal of the finished muffin from the tin.
The advantage to cooks is easier removal and cleanup, more precise form, and moister muffins; however, using them will prevent a crust.
A variety of sizes for muffin cases are available. Slightly different sizes are considered "standard" in different countries. Miniature cases are commonly 27 to 30 millimetres (1.1 to 1.2 in) in diameter at the base and 20 millimetres (0.79 in) tall. Standard-size cases range from 45 to 53 millimetres (1.8 to 2.1 in) in diameter at the base and are 30 to 35 millimetres (1.2 to 1.4 in) tall. Some jumbo-size cases can hold more than twice the size of standard cases. Australian and Swedish bakers are accustomed to taller paper cases with a larger diameter at the top than American and British bakers.[5]
Muffins as symbols
- The corn muffin is the official state muffin of Massachusetts.[6]
- The blueberry muffin is the official state muffin of Minnesota.[7]
- The apple muffin is the official state muffin of New York.[8]
See also
References
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Wikibooks Cookbook has a recipe/module on |
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Look up muffin in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Muffins |
- ^ Lettice Bryan (1839). Kentucky Housewife. South Dartmouth, MA: Applewood Books (reprint). p. 309. ISBN 1-55709-514-0.
- ^ Catharine Esther Beecher (1871). Miss Beecher's domestic receipt-book: designed as a supplement to her treatise on domestic economy. Harper. p. 99.
- ^ English Muffin - Kitchen Dictionary - Food.com
- ^ "Hormel Foods". Archived from the original on 2004-01-22. Retrieved 2007-04-19.
- ^ Smith, Lindy. Bake me I'm Yours... Cupcake Celebration. David & Charles: Newton Abbot; 2010. ISBN 9780715337707. p. 7.
- ^ Minnesota North Star
- ^ Minnesota North Star
- ^ State Symbols USA
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