by Sheila Rae Watson

Created on: February 25, 2009

The Prefect Muffin.

Being a professional baker, I was expected to make great, soft, moist muffins but it was not something that came naturally to me. Until I learned a few simple tips, my muffins were not great. However, with practice and time I was soon making marvelous, nutty, fruity muffins with tops "to die for." In this article, I will share some of those professional tips.

A few years go I ran a small bakery delivery route. I got up very early each morning and baked muffins and then while they were still warm, I would go around to the banks, motels, post office, and other businesses and peddle these muffins. What follows is what I learned about making muffins.

Recipes

I had one basic recipe, from this recipe I made all the different types of muffins.

*Tip: Find a good basic recipe and stick with it, adding fruits, seeds, spices, flavorings and other whole grains to add pizzazz and style.

Morning Glory Muffins add cinnamon, nutmeg, dried apples, nuts and coconut

Pumpkin Surprise, a bit of whole-wheat flour, graham flour, cloves, cinnamon, and a creamy center

Nor'easter Muffins had cranberries, orange rinds, juice, and walnuts

The add-ins are limited by your imagination, but the recipe remains the same.

Muffin Batter

*Tip: Like any good cake batter, the key is volume. Before you add the flour(s) make sure you have a fluffy base. This is accomplished by whipping the butter and sugar together then adding eggs one at a time and completely incorporating each into the batter. Then lightly beat the flour into this fluffy base.

After adding the flour, stir the fruits, nuts and other delightful items into the batter by hand.

Do not over work muffin batter. After adding the flour, handle the dough as little as possible. Too much stirring can toughen muffin batter.

Muffin Tops

Muffin tops are what folks are after when they buy a muffin. They pull this top off and eat it first. After the top is gone only then do muffin aficionados apply butter, cream cheese or jam and finish the remainder of the muffin.

*Tip: After the batter is in the muffin pan, sprinkle each muffin with sugar, then bake. This will produce a crunchy muffin top.

You can also add streusel topping, nuts, and even candy to the tops for dramatic and impressive results.

Equipment

Almost as important as the recipe is the muffin pan, use professional grade muffin pans only. These professional pans are heavy, made of aluminum for even heat distribution, and are deep enough to make a nice tall muffin.

*Tip: To use paper baking

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