[/caption]I've never made savory muffins before. I've heard all about Sausage & Cheddar Muffins, or Bacon & Chive but never anything with a vegetable in it. Doesn't a Sun Dried Tomato and Garlic muffin sound awesome? I think that would be perfect with a bowl of vegetable soup... or something else warm and cozy. I've also been feeling a good deal homesick. And since "home" is a relative term around here ("Home is where the Navy sends you"), I decided to start with the place that we lived last. New Mexico.
After searching for a while I realized I wouldn't find a muffin recipe that wasn't a corn muffin. And I wanted a fluffy, warm in the middle, no grainy corn meal muffin. And then I had trouble finding a muffin recipe that didn't use a mix (not that there's anything wrong with that!) or require potato flakes. Hence, the recipe I finally used tastes good... but they're not fluffy. Far from it. And I think its because I took a stock muffin recipe from my Good Housekeeping cookbook and then just tried to adjust the sugar/salt and spices accordingly. I'm not disappointed with the results.
Have a look at the recipe and let me know where you think I've gone wrong... or maybe you have a savory muffin recipe I can use? Because now, I'm on a mission for them to be perfect. Before we continue, I'd like to say thank you, thank you, thank you the Madeline for sending me a New Mexico care package. A Qatari care package is headed her way!
Green Chile Muffins
You can see the original recipe below with my changes noted. Thoughts?
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cups 1 Tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk or soured milk
3 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg 2 large eggs, beaten
Add:
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped onions
1 4 oz. can Hatch Green Chiles
Combine the dry ingredients thoroughly, including the spices. Make a well in the center of the bowl and add the beaten eggs, milk, butter, onions and green chiles (do not drain them). Stir until well combined and then spoon into lined or greased muffin cups (cup should be 3/4 of the way full). Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
As you know, there are many variables that can affect the texture/density of muffins (leavening, proportions, altitude, oven temperature, etc.). They may have too much egg, which can make them heavy, or not enough baking powder. And, the recipe may be flawed in its instructions--"stir until well combined" is a recipe (ha!) for overmixing, which will make your muffins heavy, rather than fluffy. Cooking may be an art, but baking is definitely a science. I am sure they were delicious anyway. :)
ReplyDeleteI think I'm going to make another batch with less egg and a little more folding than combining. I'm just always so skeptical about how well things get mixed throughout or not. Delicious they may be, but I want fluffy! I really wish you were here to do that testing and tasting with me!
ReplyDeleteOh, so do I--I would love to be your culinary guinea pig. Unfortunately, judging from the contents of this blog, "pig" would be the operative word. I understand the mixing fear, but you can have some pretty sizable lumps and still have it turn out well. Don't ask me how, other than baking magic.
ReplyDelete