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| American muffins may have started out as a form of small ], or possibly an adaptation of ]. Early versions of these muffins tend to be less sweet and much less varied in ingredients than their contemporary forms. Made quickly and easily, they were useful as a breakfast food. They also rapidly grew stale, which prevented them from being a marketable baked good, and they were not seen much outside home kitchens until the mid-20th century. Recipes tended to be limited to different ]s – ], ], ] – and a few readily available additives – ], ] in some form, or ]. | American muffins may have started out as a form of small ], or possibly an adaptation of ]. Early versions of these muffins tend to be less sweet and much less varied in ingredients than their contemporary forms. Made quickly and easily, they were useful as a breakfast food. They also rapidly grew stale, which prevented them from being a marketable baked good, and they were not seen much outside home kitchens until the mid-20th century. Recipes tended to be limited to different ]s – ], ], ] – and a few readily available additives – ], ] in some form, or ]. | ||
| In the 1950s, packaged |
In the 1950s, packaged ] were introduced by several American companies. By the 1960s, attempts were being made to treat the muffin like the ] as a ] business opportunity. Coffee-shop style ] appeared, featuring a a wide variety of muffins. These tended to be regional, such as "The Pewter Pot" in southern ]. No such business has emerged nationally in the U.S. (although doughnut chains have edged into the business), but ]'s "Muffin Break" has spread to ] and the ], featuring the American-style muffin. | ||
| A somewhat odd combination of circumstances in the 1970s and 1980s led to significant changes in what had been a rather simple, if not prosaic, food. The decline in home-baking, the ], the rise of the ], and the ] trend (exemplified by ]) all contributed to the creation of what is now the standard contemporary muffin. ] in muffin mixes led to the expectation that muffins did not have to go stale within hours of baking, but the resulting muffins were not a taste improvement over home-made. On the other hand, the baked muffin, even if from a mix, seemed almost good for one compared to the fat-laden alternatives of doughnuts and ]. "Healthful" muffin recipes using whole grains and such "natural" things as ] and various ] evolved rapidly. But for "healthy" muffins to have any shelf-life without artificial preservatives, the sugar and fat content had to go up. The increasing market for gourmet snacks to accompany gourmet coffees resulted in fancier concoctions in greater bulk than the original modestly-sized corn muffin. Today it is not hard to find a muffin along the lines of "coconut-almond-cherry-chocolate" the size of a small baby's head. | |||
| ==Orange Choc-Chip Muffins== | ==Orange Choc-Chip Muffins== | ||
Revision as of 21:11, 26 May 2005
The word muffin is given to two types of breadstuffs, one a yeast-leavened item, and the other a "quick" bread raised with baking powder or baking soda.
The yeast-raised muffin is the oldest version, appearing in Britain as a word derived from the French moufflet, around the 11th century A.D. The other type is an American development from the 19th century.
The British version, celebrated in the nursery rhyme about the muffin man, is predecessor to what is known in American English as the English muffin. It is a thick, flat bun, typically about eight centimetres in diameter. This muffin is usually split into two, toasted and buttered, and bears resemblance to the crumpet or pikelet.
American muffins may have started out as a form of small tea cake, or possibly an adaptation of cornbread. Early versions of these muffins tend to be less sweet and much less varied in ingredients than their contemporary forms. Made quickly and easily, they were useful as a breakfast food. They also rapidly grew stale, which prevented them from being a marketable baked good, and they were not seen much outside home kitchens until the mid-20th century. Recipes tended to be limited to different grains – corn, wheat bran, oatmeal – and a few readily available additives – raisins, apples in some form, or nuts.
In the 1950s, packaged muffin mixes were introduced by several American companies. By the 1960s, attempts were being made to treat the muffin like the doughnut as a franchise food business opportunity. Coffee-shop style restaurant chains appeared, featuring a a wide variety of muffins. These tended to be regional, such as "The Pewter Pot" in southern New England. No such business has emerged nationally in the U.S. (although doughnut chains have edged into the business), but Australia's "Muffin Break" has spread to New Zealand and the U.K., featuring the American-style muffin.
A somewhat odd combination of circumstances in the 1970s and 1980s led to significant changes in what had been a rather simple, if not prosaic, food. The decline in home-baking, the health-food movement, the rise of the specialty food shop, and the gourmet-coffee trend (exemplified by Starbucks) all contributed to the creation of what is now the standard contemporary muffin. Preservatives in muffin mixes led to the expectation that muffins did not have to go stale within hours of baking, but the resulting muffins were not a taste improvement over home-made. On the other hand, the baked muffin, even if from a mix, seemed almost good for one compared to the fat-laden alternatives of doughnuts and Danish. "Healthful" muffin recipes using whole grains and such "natural" things as yoghurt and various vegetables evolved rapidly. But for "healthy" muffins to have any shelf-life without artificial preservatives, the sugar and fat content had to go up. The increasing market for gourmet snacks to accompany gourmet coffees resulted in fancier concoctions in greater bulk than the original modestly-sized corn muffin. Today it is not hard to find a muffin along the lines of "coconut-almond-cherry-chocolate" the size of a small baby's head.
Orange Choc-Chip Muffins
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- 400g self-raising flour
- 60g butter
- 120g sugar
- 12cL cup milk choc. bits
- 12cL cup white choc. bits
- 2 eggs, beaten lightly
- 12cL cup milk
- 12cL cup orange juice
- 15mL orange rind
Preheat oven to 220ºC. Sift flour onto bowl, rub in butter. Add sugar, milk choc. bits and white choc. bits, eggs, milk, orange juice and orange rind. Mix well. Spoon heaped tablespoons of mixture into greased muffin pans. Bake for 15-20 minutes until cooked when tasted. Makes 12.
See also
State Muffins
Several states of the United States have a state muffin:
- Minnesota- blueberry muffin
- Massachusetts- corn muffin
- New York- apple muffin