Hearty Muffins -- to sink your teeth into

Cold winter mornings call for something hearty and wholesome and whole grain muffins are perfect.

Reading about mixing methods seems about as exciting as broccoli. But it’s so helpful to recognize and understand mixing methods when tackling new recipes. Once you understand mixing methods, you’ll quickly pick out the method in a new recipe like an old friend in a crowd. You can even switch from one method to another with slightly different results.

There are two methods for mixing muffins (and many other baked goods like cookies). In the muffin method, the liquids and the dry ingredients are mixed separately and then stirred together until just combined. In the creaming method, the butter or other fat is creamed with the sugar.

To use the muffin method, 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 whisk 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 divide liquids from all dry ingredients with most of our muffin recipes.)

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 or a large spoon 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.

For the creaming method, cream the butter or shortening and sugars together. The sugar crystals cut through the fat creating tiny pockets of air. In the heat of the oven, the pockets will expand and help lift the muffins. After creaming, add the eggs and beat until the mixture turns a lighter color and is soft. Then add the flour followed by the liquids in three or four additions mixing after each. You always start with the flour. Oil and water don't mix and adding the liquid to the creamed mixture will often create an unattractive, curdled mess. The flour will act as a buffer between the oils and water in the liquids.

For either method, grease the muffin tins well. We like spray oil 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.)

Temperature is one of the secrets to those nicely domed muffins that you find in the better bake shops. Make 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. The temperature should be set to 400 or 425 degrees though you can turn the heat down to 350 degrees after five minutes. The higher heat creates a burst of steam that lifts the batter. (We have experimented with turning the heat down immediately and waiting as long as six or eight minutes before turning it down. It doesn't seem to matter. Just test your muffins to make sure they are done.) Place the muffins in the upper third of the oven where it tends to be hotter and the heat more constant. Bake until done.

Tips for Better Muffins

* 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—all-purpose or pastry flour. Higher protein bread flours will make a muffin that is chewier and more bread-like.
* 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 full to allow room for expansion. If you want high-domed muffins, fill them fuller than that. 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 with a doughy center.

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. One of the most used tools in our kitchen is a soft-sided silicone spatula that will gently remove muffins and other baked goods from their pans without scratching nonstick surfaces.

Alaskan Apricot Muffins

These are hearty, whole grain muffins—the kind your mother would approve of—but they are still very good. They are not overly sweet muffins.

2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled whole oats
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup 1/4-inch chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a muffin pan. This recipe will make eight high-domed muffins or ten smaller ones.

1. Whisk the eggs together in a small bowl. Add the sour cream. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, oats, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, and cinnamon together.
3. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the liquid ingredients. Stir only until combined. Add the fruit and the nuts.
4. Spoon the batter into the greased muffin cups.
5. Bake for 15 to18 minutes or until done. Baking times will vary. Cool the muffins on a wire rack.

Raggedy Ann Cinnamon Chip Muffins Recipe

These muffins are made with cinnamon baking chips. In the high heat of the oven (the oven is set to 425 degrees), the cinnamon chips melt leaving swirls of cinnamon through the muffins. With all that melting cinnamon, the tops are often roughhewn and ragged and hence the name, Raggedy Ann cinnamon Chip Muffins. These are very good muffins.

This recipe makes ten large, well-domed muffins or 12 smaller ones.

Ingredients

2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup whole rolled oats
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup Prepared Pantry or equal cinnamon chips

For the topping:

2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a muffin pan.

1. Whisk the eggs together in a small bowl. Add the buttermilk and vanilla. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, oats, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together.
3. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the liquid ingredients. Stir only until combined. Add the cinnamon chips.
4. Drop the batter into the greased muffin cups. Mix the two tablespoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon together. Spoon the cinnamon sugar over the muffins.
5. Place the muffin pan in the oven. Immediately turn the temperature down to 375 degrees. Bake for 15 minutes or until done. Baking times will vary depending on how well your oven holds heat. Cool the muffins on a wire rack.

Muffins by Dennis Weaver
Meridian Magazine
March 4, 2011
Link Here
http://ldsmag.com/index.php?option=com_zine&view=article&Itemid=146&ac=1&id=7593