Page 295 - Cupcakes

Muffins: Breakfast Cupcakes

They’re unpretentious, they don’t require frosting, sprinkles, or other hoopla
(although sometimes it’s fun to add them); they’re simply muffins—a humble
handful. Dessert cupcakes might seem like the main attraction, but muffins are
tried-and-true stars. They are a delicious way to start the day.

Muffins and cupcakes are baked in the same pans, but their construction is a

tad different. First of all, muffins are best baked in a pan that has been lightly
sprayed on the bottom with vegetable oil. Cupcakes, on the other hand, generally
need paper liners. (The liners would soften the muffin’s crust.) Muffins need a
higher heat to rise up quickly and to brown and develop a nice crust, which not
only keeps their interior moist but makes them sturdy enough for toting to
friends or freezing for later meals.

When you assemble the muffin batter, go easy on it, or the resulting muffins
will be tough. Use a wooden spoon if the recipe calls for wet ingredients to be
combined with dry. If it calls for an electric mixer to cream the butter and sugar,
fine, but when it comes time to add the flour, fold it in with a wooden spoon.
Okay, enough about food science. On to the wonderful recipes you’ll find in
this chapter. Bake up the Banana Muffins with Big Blackberries and Sugar Crust