Showing posts with label Muffins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Muffins. Show all posts
Monday, 5 April 2010
Thursday, 1 April 2010
How to make good muffins
BATTERS
The bread-like muffin batter is made using the "muffin method". This
batter can be assembled and baked 'quickly', usually in 20-25 minutes.
Only two bowls are needed to make the batter. One bowl is used to mix all
the dry ingredients together. The second bowl contains all the wet
ingredients. The fat used with the bread-like muffins is usually in liquid
form, either an oil or melted butter. When the wet and dry ingredients
have been mixed together separately, then they are combined. The important
step here is not to overmix the batter. However, there is a tendency to
over mix because the ratio of liquid to flour is quite high. But mixing
too much overdevelops the gluten in the flour which will cause a tough
muffin with tunnels and a compact texture. Only 10 to 15 strokes are
needed to moisten the ingredients and the batter should be still lumpy and
you may still see a few traces of flour. Don't worry about these lumps as
the batter continues to blend as it bakes and any lumps will disappear.
Note: Over mixing the muffin batter causes it to become very stringy.
This is the gluten developing in the flour. Over mixing causes long
strands of gluten to form making it hard for the leavener to work and
causes long tunnels in the baked good.
The cake-like muffin batter is prepared using the same method as making a
cake batter. The butter (room-temperature) and sugar are creamed together.
The eggs are mixed in and then the wet and dry ingredients are added
alternately. The higher sugar and fat content in this type of muffin act
as tenderizers thereby producing a richer cake-like muffin with a softer
crumb. The increased fat content also minimizes the development of gluten
which again helps to produce a muffin with a softer crumb.
PANS
Muffins and cupcakes are baked in a muffin pan or tin made of steel,
aluminum or cast iron. Make sure the pan you buy has rounded corners and
seamless cups. Non-stick surfaces are available which enables easy removal
of the muffins from the pan. Each pan can have 6-, 12- or 24- cup-shaped
depressions and range from mini- to jumbo in size. Mini muffin pans
usually have 12 or 24 cup-shaped depressions. Each little cup is about 2
inches (5 cm) in diameter and 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) deep and holds about 2
tablespoons of batter. The regular size muffin pans have 6- or 12-
cup-shaped depressions with each cup about 3 inches (7.5 cm) in diameter
and holds about 1/2 cup or 4 ounces of batter. Jumbo muffin pans have 6
cup-shaped depressions with each cup being 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter and
2 inches (5 cm) deep holding about 1 cup of batter each.
There are also fluted muffin pans (also called bundt-lette pans) that come
in 6- and 12- cup sizes made from heavy cast aluminum. Each of the 6
fluted muffin cups measures 4 inches (10 cm) wide and 2 inches (5 cm) deep
and holds 8 ounces (240 ml) of batter. Each of the 12 fluted muffin cups
measures 2 1/2 inches wide (6.25 cm) and 1 inch (2.54 cm) deep. They can
be used to bake both muffins and cakes when decorative individual cakes are
desired.
Note: If using a dark colored pan, reduce the oven temperature, stated in
the recipe, by 25 degrees F. (This is because dark colored pans absorb
more of the energy coming from the oven walls so they become hotter and
transmit heat faster than light colored pans.)
Paper or foil muffin cup liners are sometimes used to line the muffin pans.
The advantage of paper liners is not only does it make clean-up easier but
they also help to keep the muffins moist and help prevent them from drying
out. However, if you like your muffins to have a crust, do not use paper
liners. Instead, spray the muffin pan with a non stick vegetable spray.
BAKING
Muffins should be baked in the center of a preheated oven and are done when
a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the edges start to
come away from the sides of the pan, usually 20-25 minutes at a 350 - 400
degree F (175 - 205 degrees C) oven.
Spoon the muffin batter into the muffin tin using two spoons or an ice
cream scoop. Only fill each cup 1/2 to 2/3 full. Even during this step,
handle the batter as little as possible as too much handling will cause a
tough muffin. Fill any unused cups halfway with water to prevent over
browning of the muffins or warping of the pan. Turn the pan halfway during
baking for even browning. Make sure you do not overbake muffins or they
will be dry. When done, remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool
slightly (5-10 minutes) before removing from pan.
PROBLEM SOLVING
Muffins have tunnels and are dry:
- batter was over mixed (too much gluten development)
- over baked and/or oven too hot
- too much flour and/or too little liquid
Muffins have an uneven shape
- too much batter in each cup (fill only 1/2 to 2/3 full). Overfilling
will cause muffins to have "flying saucer" like tops.
- oven temperature too high
Tops are brown but muffin is not cooked through
- oven temperature too high
- oven rack not in center of oven
Muffin does not rise sufficiently
- oven temperature too low
- batter over mixed or incorrect amount of leavener
Muffins Stick to Pan
- pan was not prepared properly.
- let muffins sit in pan too long after removing from oven. Try placing
the pan on a wet towel for a few minutes to loosen the muffins. Run a
sharp edge around the inside of each muffin.
Streusel - Comes from the German word 'streuen' which means 'to sprinkle'
or 'to scatter'. Was originally made to be used as a topping for the
German made 'Streusel Kuchen'. Streusels are now used as a topping for
cakes, coffee cakes, Danish pastries, muffins, pies, sweet breads, and
tarts.
Streusel is a crumbly topping containing a mixture of butter, flour, and
sugar. Spices, chopped nuts, and oats can be added. This mixture is
sprinkled over the top of baked goods before they are placed in the oven.
It provides a crisp crust that adds both taste and texture to baked goods.
Note: Resist the temptation to add more baking powder to your muffin
recipe, thinking it will give you higher muffins. If you over leaven your
batter it will cause the muffins to over inflate when baked, which weakens
the structure and will cause the muffin to collapse. This will result in a
heavy, compact textured muffin.
General rule of thumb is 1 to 2 teaspoons of baking powder or 1/4 teaspoon
of baking soda plus 1/2 cup (120 ml) of an acidic ingredient, leavens 1 cup
(140 grams) of all purpose flour. The exact amount will vary according to
the ingredients used and how the batter is mixed.
Read more: http://joyofbaking.com/muffins/muffinrecipes.html#ixzz0jf6v4OYd
The bread-like muffin batter is made using the "muffin method". This
batter can be assembled and baked 'quickly', usually in 20-25 minutes.
Only two bowls are needed to make the batter. One bowl is used to mix all
the dry ingredients together. The second bowl contains all the wet
ingredients. The fat used with the bread-like muffins is usually in liquid
form, either an oil or melted butter. When the wet and dry ingredients
have been mixed together separately, then they are combined. The important
step here is not to overmix the batter. However, there is a tendency to
over mix because the ratio of liquid to flour is quite high. But mixing
too much overdevelops the gluten in the flour which will cause a tough
muffin with tunnels and a compact texture. Only 10 to 15 strokes are
needed to moisten the ingredients and the batter should be still lumpy and
you may still see a few traces of flour. Don't worry about these lumps as
the batter continues to blend as it bakes and any lumps will disappear.
Note: Over mixing the muffin batter causes it to become very stringy.
This is the gluten developing in the flour. Over mixing causes long
strands of gluten to form making it hard for the leavener to work and
causes long tunnels in the baked good.
The cake-like muffin batter is prepared using the same method as making a
cake batter. The butter (room-temperature) and sugar are creamed together.
The eggs are mixed in and then the wet and dry ingredients are added
alternately. The higher sugar and fat content in this type of muffin act
as tenderizers thereby producing a richer cake-like muffin with a softer
crumb. The increased fat content also minimizes the development of gluten
which again helps to produce a muffin with a softer crumb.
PANS
Muffins and cupcakes are baked in a muffin pan or tin made of steel,
aluminum or cast iron. Make sure the pan you buy has rounded corners and
seamless cups. Non-stick surfaces are available which enables easy removal
of the muffins from the pan. Each pan can have 6-, 12- or 24- cup-shaped
depressions and range from mini- to jumbo in size. Mini muffin pans
usually have 12 or 24 cup-shaped depressions. Each little cup is about 2
inches (5 cm) in diameter and 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) deep and holds about 2
tablespoons of batter. The regular size muffin pans have 6- or 12-
cup-shaped depressions with each cup about 3 inches (7.5 cm) in diameter
and holds about 1/2 cup or 4 ounces of batter. Jumbo muffin pans have 6
cup-shaped depressions with each cup being 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter and
2 inches (5 cm) deep holding about 1 cup of batter each.
There are also fluted muffin pans (also called bundt-lette pans) that come
in 6- and 12- cup sizes made from heavy cast aluminum. Each of the 6
fluted muffin cups measures 4 inches (10 cm) wide and 2 inches (5 cm) deep
and holds 8 ounces (240 ml) of batter. Each of the 12 fluted muffin cups
measures 2 1/2 inches wide (6.25 cm) and 1 inch (2.54 cm) deep. They can
be used to bake both muffins and cakes when decorative individual cakes are
desired.
Note: If using a dark colored pan, reduce the oven temperature, stated in
the recipe, by 25 degrees F. (This is because dark colored pans absorb
more of the energy coming from the oven walls so they become hotter and
transmit heat faster than light colored pans.)
Paper or foil muffin cup liners are sometimes used to line the muffin pans.
The advantage of paper liners is not only does it make clean-up easier but
they also help to keep the muffins moist and help prevent them from drying
out. However, if you like your muffins to have a crust, do not use paper
liners. Instead, spray the muffin pan with a non stick vegetable spray.
BAKING
Muffins should be baked in the center of a preheated oven and are done when
a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the edges start to
come away from the sides of the pan, usually 20-25 minutes at a 350 - 400
degree F (175 - 205 degrees C) oven.
Spoon the muffin batter into the muffin tin using two spoons or an ice
cream scoop. Only fill each cup 1/2 to 2/3 full. Even during this step,
handle the batter as little as possible as too much handling will cause a
tough muffin. Fill any unused cups halfway with water to prevent over
browning of the muffins or warping of the pan. Turn the pan halfway during
baking for even browning. Make sure you do not overbake muffins or they
will be dry. When done, remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool
slightly (5-10 minutes) before removing from pan.
PROBLEM SOLVING
Muffins have tunnels and are dry:
- batter was over mixed (too much gluten development)
- over baked and/or oven too hot
- too much flour and/or too little liquid
Muffins have an uneven shape
- too much batter in each cup (fill only 1/2 to 2/3 full). Overfilling
will cause muffins to have "flying saucer" like tops.
- oven temperature too high
Tops are brown but muffin is not cooked through
- oven temperature too high
- oven rack not in center of oven
Muffin does not rise sufficiently
- oven temperature too low
- batter over mixed or incorrect amount of leavener
Muffins Stick to Pan
- pan was not prepared properly.
- let muffins sit in pan too long after removing from oven. Try placing
the pan on a wet towel for a few minutes to loosen the muffins. Run a
sharp edge around the inside of each muffin.
Streusel - Comes from the German word 'streuen' which means 'to sprinkle'
or 'to scatter'. Was originally made to be used as a topping for the
German made 'Streusel Kuchen'. Streusels are now used as a topping for
cakes, coffee cakes, Danish pastries, muffins, pies, sweet breads, and
tarts.
Streusel is a crumbly topping containing a mixture of butter, flour, and
sugar. Spices, chopped nuts, and oats can be added. This mixture is
sprinkled over the top of baked goods before they are placed in the oven.
It provides a crisp crust that adds both taste and texture to baked goods.
Note: Resist the temptation to add more baking powder to your muffin
recipe, thinking it will give you higher muffins. If you over leaven your
batter it will cause the muffins to over inflate when baked, which weakens
the structure and will cause the muffin to collapse. This will result in a
heavy, compact textured muffin.
General rule of thumb is 1 to 2 teaspoons of baking powder or 1/4 teaspoon
of baking soda plus 1/2 cup (120 ml) of an acidic ingredient, leavens 1 cup
(140 grams) of all purpose flour. The exact amount will vary according to
the ingredients used and how the batter is mixed.
Read more: http://joyofbaking.com/muffins/muffinrecipes.html#ixzz0jf6v4OYd
Friday, 5 March 2010
Tuesday, 14 July 2009
Pandan Muffins
2 cups of flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of milk
1/2 of veg oil
1 tsp pandan essence
1 egg
preheat oven to 180c
1. mixed together sugar, milk, oil, egg and pandan essence in a mixing bowl until well blend.
2. put the dry ingredient into the mixing bowl and fold together until blend.
3. spoon into muffin cups and bake for 15 minutes.
Wednesday, 25 March 2009
Apam Balik Muffins
This muffin is easy to do, taste of peanut butter reminded Azrin tu apam balik therefore we decided to call this muffin Apam Balik Muffins
APAM BALIK MUFFINS
Dry ingredients:
2 cups of flour >
4 tsp baking powder > sift together
1 tsp Cinnamon powder >
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup milk
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
5 tbsp chunky peanut butter
1. preheat oven to 190c.
2. In a bowl mixed oil, milk, sugar, eggs - beat using wooden spoon for about 2 minutes than put in the peanut butter. Beat for another 1 minutes.
3. Put the dry ingredients in 2 batch into the mixture. Fold until everything mixed.
4. spoon into muffin tray / in paper cup - 3/4 full.
5. bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until it cook
Tuesday, 13 January 2009
Mini Muffin
MINI CHOCOLATE MUFFIN
2 cups flour >
2 tsp baking powder> mixed together dry ingredient
2 tbsp coco powder>
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1/2 cup veg oil
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla exctract
For icing
100g icing sugar
juice from 1 lemon
1. Mixed together sugar, milk, oil, egg and vanilla exctract in a mixing bowl until well blend
2. Put the dry ingredient into the mixing bowl and fold it together until well blend
3. Spoon 1 tsp of mixture into paper cup
4. Bake in preheated over 180c for 10- 15 minutes
5. To make the icing - mixed together the icing sugar and lemond juice until it smooth
6. Leave the muffin to cool then drizzle it with the icing.
Friday, 28 November 2008
Busy Wednesday
I having my 2nd interview - competency test on thursday. I was a bit stressed up a night before, usually I go shopping to let go the stress but as it was cold and dark outside and I haven't get paid yet, to ease my tension I done baking.
Sardine Currypuff
As I still have left over sardine filling, I made the currypuff. I just made simple pastry using 4 tbsp veg fat (shortening), 800g flour, 2tbsp sugar, 1tbs salt and 2 cups of cold water. Mixed all and made a dough. I managed to made 66 currypuff from it. This weekend we going to Azrin's house in Canterbury, I going to bring some for her.
Honey Cornflakes
My husband help me putting the cornflakes into the paper cases. We used big paper cases less work for us and big portion to eat. Lovely.
Jam Muffins
I baked this muffins to bring it to work for my colleagues.
Jam Muffin
2 cups flour }
4 tsp baking powder } sift together
1 tsp cinnamon powder }
1 cup milk
1/2 cup veg oil
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
Jam
1. Preheat oven to 200c (gas mark 6). Beat together milk, oil, sugar and egg.
2. Stir in flour mixture and mix together until just blended.
3. Line a muffin tray with paper, fill each cases 1 spoonful muffin mixture then spoon in 1 tsp jam then top up with muffin mixture and fill just below the top
4. Bake muffins for 20-25 minutes.
(note: this is my basic muffin recipe at any time you can omit or replace the jam, put coco powder and chocolate chip you can call it Chocolate Chip Muffin. Put fresh blueberry become Blueberry Muffin and as for me I put whatever in season or whatever I have. It only take less than 40 minutes to make.)
Sardine Currypuff
As I still have left over sardine filling, I made the currypuff. I just made simple pastry using 4 tbsp veg fat (shortening), 800g flour, 2tbsp sugar, 1tbs salt and 2 cups of cold water. Mixed all and made a dough. I managed to made 66 currypuff from it. This weekend we going to Azrin's house in Canterbury, I going to bring some for her.
Honey Cornflakes
My husband help me putting the cornflakes into the paper cases. We used big paper cases less work for us and big portion to eat. Lovely.
Jam Muffins
I baked this muffins to bring it to work for my colleagues.
Jam Muffin
2 cups flour }
4 tsp baking powder } sift together
1 tsp cinnamon powder }
1 cup milk
1/2 cup veg oil
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
Jam
1. Preheat oven to 200c (gas mark 6). Beat together milk, oil, sugar and egg.
2. Stir in flour mixture and mix together until just blended.
3. Line a muffin tray with paper, fill each cases 1 spoonful muffin mixture then spoon in 1 tsp jam then top up with muffin mixture and fill just below the top
4. Bake muffins for 20-25 minutes.
(note: this is my basic muffin recipe at any time you can omit or replace the jam, put coco powder and chocolate chip you can call it Chocolate Chip Muffin. Put fresh blueberry become Blueberry Muffin and as for me I put whatever in season or whatever I have. It only take less than 40 minutes to make.)
Sunday, 9 November 2008
Cup cake
My love affair with cup cake not very long. I started to decorated after my wilton class. I usually using muffin as the base. Today I called my friend Adibah of Pelangi Indah, JB we talked about the craze in Malaysia right now - cup cake. I just put this photos to show it to her. Ok Adib, when I go back to JB next year,we can bake and decorate cup cake.
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