Gourmet Files
Nuffin’ like a muffin
VASUNDHARA CHAUHAN
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Nothing like the soft comfort of a hot muffin during those lazy, winter mid-afternoons…
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Photo: Vasundhara Chauhan
INDESCRIBABLE JOY: Hot off the oven!
Adult Education never ends. Have you noticed how muffins are everywhere? It started in the coffee bar chains a few years ago, where you could order a banana muffin with your coffee. Or a date and fig. Or a chocolate-chip. Or a blueberry (which last I have never eaten and never will. Blueberries? BLUEBERRIES? Where do those come from? Plastic squeeze bottles?) But the rest are good, especially in winter when there’s that mid-afternoon hypoglycaemia… And just a cappuccino won’t quite do the trick. But to get back to Adult Education. How come there weren’t any muffins of this kind when we were growing up? These look and taste like cupcakes, right? Okay, large — American-sized — over-sweet, but cupcakes all the same. Where was I when they became muffins? Numerological re-christening? Ccupcakkes then. But muffins?
Maybe I seem to be going on about a non-issue. Most people probably think “muffin” is fine. But when we were small — and that defines my vocabulary — muffins were a variety of quick bread. They were served in lieu of dinner rolls when dinner was Western. The batter ingredients were measured and kept ready in the kitchen, the wet added to the dry just half an hour before dinner was to be served. With her left hand (to use her phrase) my mother would stir everything together with a fork, ladle it into baking cups and, in a few minutes, heaps of hot golden muffins would be tumbled into a basket on the table. Oh, the indescribable joy! But more of that later.
Plenty to eat
Last night we went out for a coffee. And saw abovementioned “muffins” in glass cases. This morning, when my muffins were in the oven, I decided to research them. And now have to eat crow. (If there’s any room after I’m done with the muffins.) Because, apparently, there are two kinds of muffins. The difference is partly explained by the usual Brit versus U.S. thing, but not entirely. According to Wikipedia, a muffin is a bit like a small cake: both have cylindrical bases and rounded conical tops. But muffins usually are not as sweet as cupcakes and usually are not iced. There are savoury muffins too — with crumbled bits of bacon or a sharp cheddar. And so on. But the bit I really like is: “They generally fit in the palm of an adult hand, and are intended to be consumed by an individual in a single sitting.”
And then there is the “English muffin”, a thick, fluffy pastry disc. The fundamental and significant difference is that it is leavened with yeast — and predates the baking powder leavened muffins. To add to the confusion, “American style muffins are now sold in the U.K., so the term “muffin” can refer to either product, the context usually making clear which is meant.” An English muffin is supposed to be split, toasted, slathered with butter and eaten hot. As Alan Davidson puts it, “in common with crumpets and pikelets, they provided a physical base and a pretext for eating melted butter.” Need one say more?
Regardless. A muffin as I know it is Comfort Food Heaven. The etymology bears me out: it comes from moufflet, an old French word applied to bread, meaning “soft”. Those people knew a thing or two. In the 19th century, at teatime, when you heard the sound of a particular bell being rung, you ran out because it was the Muffin Man selling fresh muffins. In the middle of the century some killjoys objected and, by an Act of Parliament, had the Muffin Man’s bell silenced. But the buttered muffin-eaters prevailed and the Act was rendered ineffective!
Basic Muffins
Makes 12
Two cups sifted flour
Half cup sugar
Three tsp baking soda
Half tsp salt
One cup milk
Half cup vegetable oil
One egg
Preheat oven to 200° C (400° F). Grease bottoms only of 12 muffin-pan cups. Sift flour with baking soda and salt. Stir in sugar. In separate bowl, beat together egg, milk and oil. Spread flour mixture in wide round bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour in egg-milk-oil mixture all at once. Stir with a fork just until combined. Spoon mixture into prepared muffin-pan cups. Bake until golden, for about 25 minutes. Immediately remove from cups by inserting knife tip under each to loosen. Serve hot with butter.
When mixing batter, stir just until flour is moistened. Do not beat. Batter will be lumpy but makes for tender muffins
Muffins can be frozen or kept for a few days. Wrap in foil and reheat in oven before serving
Butter can be used instead of oil. Better taste, but…
Variations
Cinnamon-Sugar Muffins
Make Basic Muffins. Combine two tsp cinnamon and quarter cup sugar, mixing well. Sprinkle about one tsp mixture on each muffin just before baking.
Cheese Muffins
Make Basic Muffins. Add half cup grated sharp cheddar cheese and quarter tsp red chilli powder to dry ingredients. Reduce vegetable oil to quarter cup.
Bacon Muffins
Make Basic Muffins. Add half cup chopped bacon cooked crisp to dry ingredients. Reduce vegetable oil to quarter cup.
Jam Muffins
Make Basic Muffins. Spoon a half-measure of batter into each muffin-pan cup. Add 1 tsp jam and top with remaining batter.
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