ISO: the perfect muffin

[bluechefk]

i've probably made several thousand muffins in my pastry lifetime, but none have ever made me feel that i'd found It...the One...the Perfect Muffin. right now, i'm working out a menu for a brunch event - muffins will be an integral part of that menu, so i'm looking for a little recipe help. would anyone be willing to share their favorite muffin recipe? - the customers i'll be baking for do like their sweets, so i'm looking for something that's sweet and a little cakey, but which is still distinguishable from a coffeecake.

please forgive me if there's already a thread on this subject

kerry

[RodneyCk]

Muffins are a tricky lot. A true muffin, and yes, there are few guidelines that define them, such as only using 1 egg, etc., yield more of a bread-like texture, sort of dry. Many of them fall into what I describe as the healthy/breakfast bunch, wheat germ this, rolled-oats that...not to terribly exciting. There are a few good exceptions; most make up of fruit for me, blueberry, apple, etc. The moisture from the fresh takes the edge off the hardiness, I guess.

The ones you speak of are hybrids, crossing the line into a cupcake and more times than not do contain more than one egg and more sugar attributing to a more tender crumb and crust.

You can view my Extremely Orange, Orange muffin opus and try the end result, located near the end or in the recipe section here on egullet if you like. A true hybrid and if you like the flavor of orange, then I think you will like the muffin.

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=89702

[reenicake]

Years ago I tried the Basic Muffins from Cook's Illustrated and they have been my go-to ever since. (Shirley Corriher agrees!) The formula is great for random plug-ins of fruit -- start with a basic batch and split it up, add blueberries to one part, raspberries to another, etc. Very easy and so beautiful. I make a mango one with mango yogurt and chopped mango that is just... ahh.

[bluechefk]

reenicake - would you be willing to post or PM the cook's illustrated recipe? i'm planning a muffin bake-off this weekend, and would love to try this one - along with rodney ck's fabulous orange muffins, of course

[CanadianBakin']

Bake Shop muffins from a back issue of Fine Cooking magazine are awesome! I think I typed it in Rodney's orange muffin thread. It's very versatile, bakes up a big cap with great flavour. I have always had great success with this recipe.

[Dejah]

I am using a couple of fruit based muffin recipes: mango in one and canned cranberry sauce and dried apricots in another.

Neither of these have bran.

I would like to add some bran in place of the flour. Can I do that, and what proportion would work the best?

Any other alterations to a recipe when I add bran?

[RodneyCk]

I am using a couple of fruit based muffin recipes: mango in one and canned cranberry sauce and dried apricots in another.

Neither of these have bran.

I would like to add some bran in place of the flour. Can I do that, and what proportion would work the best?

Any other alterations to a recipe when I add bran?

←

I would not substitute more than 50% of the flour for bran because adding bran makes a recipe denser and a little drier in my opinion.

What I do when a recipe calls for say 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour is substitute 1/2 cup all-purpose (I use 1/2 cup + 1 tablesoon cake flour) + 1/2 cup wheat flour. I think this would work for you muffin as well.

So, say the muffin recipe calls for 2 cups all-purpose. I would substitute 1 cup by using 1/2 cup all-purpose (I would still use 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon cake flour), 1/2 cup bran, or in other words, swap out a 1/4 of the flour portion.

Edited September 24, 2006 by RodneyCk (log)

[Dejah]

I am using a couple of fruit based muffin recipes: mango in one and canned cranberry sauce and dried apricots in another.

Neither of these have bran.

I would like to add some bran in place of the flour. Can I do that, and what proportion would work the best?

Any other alterations to a recipe when I add bran?

←

I would not substitute more than 50% of the flour for bran because adding bran makes a recipe denser and a little drier in my opinion.

What I do when a recipe calls for say 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour is substitute 1/2 cup all-purpose (I use 1/2 cup + 1 tablesoon cake flour) + 1/2 cup wheat flour. I think this would work for you muffin as well.

So, say the muffin recipe calls for 2 cups all-purpose. I would substitute 1 cup by using 1/2 cup all-purpose (I would still use 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon cake flour), 1/2 cup bran, or in other words, swap out a 1/4 of the flour portion.

←

Thanks, Rodney. I'll give your proportions a try.