Muffin

A muffin is an individual-sized, baked product. It can refer to two distinct items, a part-raised flatbread that is baked and then cooked on a griddle (typically unsweetened) and a cupcake-like quickbread (often sweetened) that is chemically leavened and then baked in a mold. While quickbread muffins are often sweetened, there are savory varieties made with ingredients such as corn and cheese. The flatbread is of British or European derivation, and dates from at least the early 18th century, while the quickbread originated in North America during the 19th century. Both are common worldwide today.

Etymology[]

One 19th century source suggests that "muffin" may be related to the Greek bread "maphula", a "cake baked on a hearth or griddle", or from Old French "mou-pain" ("soft bread"), which may have been corrupted into "mouffin". The word is first found in print in 1703, spelled moofin; it is of uncertain origin but possibly derived from the Low German Muffen, the plural of Muffe meaning a small cake, or possibly with some connection to the Old French moufflet meaning soft, as said of bread. The expression "muffin-man", meaning a street seller of muffins, is attested in a 1754 poem, which includes the line: "Hark! the shrill Muffin-Man his Carol plies.."

Quick bread muffins[]

Quick bread muffins (sometimes described in Britain as "American muffins") are baked, individual-sized, cupcake-shaped foods with a "moist, coarse-grained" texture.. Muffins are available in both savoury varieties, such as cornmeal and cheese muffins (i.e. flatbread muffins), or sweet varieties such as blueberry, chocolate chip, lemon or banana flavours. Sweetened muffins range from lightly sweetened muffins to products that are "richer than many cakes in fat and sugar." They are similar to cupcakes in size and cooking methods, the main difference being that cupcakes tend to be sweet desserts using cake batter and which are often topped with sugar icing (American frosting). Muffins may have solid items mixed into the batter, such as berries, chocolate chips or nuts. Fresh baked muffins are sold by bakeries, donut shops and some fast food restaurants and coffeehouses. Factory baked muffins are sold at grocery stores and convenience stores and are also served in some coffeeshops and cafeterias.

Muffin top[]

The muffin top is the crisp upper part of the muffin, which has developed a "browned crust that's slightly singed around the edges". In 2018, McDonald's restaurant announced they were planning to sell muffin tops as part of its McCafe breakfast menu.

History[]

The use of the term to describe what are essentially cupcakes or buns did not become common usage in Britain until the last decades of the 20th century on the back of the spread of coffee shops such as Starbucks. Recipes for quickbread muffins are common in 19th-century American cookbooks. Recipes for yeast-based muffins, which were sometimes called "common muffins" or "wheat muffins" in 19th-century American cookbooks, can be found in much older cookbooks. In Fannie Farmer's Boston Cooking-School Cook Book, she gave recipes for both types of muffins, both those that used yeast to raise the dough and those that used a quick bread method, using muffin rings to shape the English muffins. Farmer indicated that stove top "baking", as is done with yeast dough, was a useful method when baking in an oven was not practical. Over the years, the size and calorie content of muffins has changed: the "3-inch muffins grandmother made had only 120 to 160 calories. But today’s giant bakery muffins contain from 340 to 630 calories each."

Manufacture[]

Quickbread muffins are made with flour, sieved together with bicarbonate of soda as a raising agent. To this is added butter or shortening, eggs and any flavourings (fruit, such as blueberries, chocolate or banana; or savouries, such as cheese). Bran muffins use less flour and use bran instead, as well as using molasses and brown sugar.The mix is turned into a pocketed muffin tray, or into individual paper moulds, and baked in an oven. Milk is often added, as it contributes to the appealing browning appearance.The result are raised, individual quickbreads. The muffin may have toppings added, such as cinnamon sugar, streusel, nuts, or chocolate chips.

Commercial muffins may have "modified starches", corn syrup (or high-fructose corn syrup), xanthan gum, or guar gum to increase moisture content and lengthen shelf life (as well, these gums can make added solids, such as chocolate chips, disperse more evenly in the batter).

Nutrition[]

Harvard University's Nutrition Source states that while may fruit muffins may seem "...to be a better breakfast than their donut neighbors" at your local coffeeshop, but with muffins' "...often refined flours, high sodium, and plenty of added sugar...and large portion size, they’re far from the optimal food choice to start your day." Consumers think that commercial muffins are a healthier choice than donuts; however, according to Registered Dietician Karen Collins, yeast or raised donuts have from 170 to 270 calories each (cake doughnuts have from 290 to 360 calories), while large bakery muffins have from 340 to 630 calories each and 11 to 27 grams of total fat. "Most muffins are deceptively high in fats", with up to 40% fat content, which many consumers are not aware of.

The type of muffin can have a big impact on its fat and sugar content; one major fast food chain's low-fat berry muffin has 300 calories, whereas the same restaurant's chocolate chunk muffin has 620 calories. Harvard's Nutrition Source recommends smaller-sized, whole-grain muffins with reduced sugar content, liquid plant oil instead of shortening or butter, and added wholesome foods such as nuts (or nut flour) or beans (or bean flour) or fresh fruit or vegetables.