Muffins were invented in the UK, but really became famous after moving to the United States with British immigrants. Their big journey around the world began with a small bakery called Muffin House, which was opened by the father of English muffins, Samuel Bat Thomas. He had in his hands a proven muffin recipe for years, which was sold by street vendors (muffin men) as a light snack. This recipe made Thomas, his bakery, and the muffins themselves famous. They are quickly and easily baked, they can be sweet and savoury, made from different kind of flours and with all kinds of fillings: fruits, berries, chocolate, nuts, raisins, and even poppy seeds.
Muffins were invented in the UK, but really became famous after moving to the United States with British immigrants. Their big journey around the world began with a small bakery called Muffin House, which was opened by the father of English muffins, Samuel Bat Thomas. He had in his hands a proven muffin recipe for years, which was sold by street vendors (muffin men) as a light snack. This recipe made Thomas, his bakery, and the muffins themselves famous. They are quickly and easily baked, they can be sweet and savoury, made from different kind of flours and with all kinds of fillings: fruits, berries, chocolate, nuts, raisins, and even poppy seeds.- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 25 minutes
- Makes: 12
- Difficulty: medium
- Course: pastry
- Cookware: metal or silicone muffin tray, muffin paper cases, cooling rack
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
⠀- 100 g butter, softened
- 75 g sugar
- 2 eggs
- 275 g flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 225 ml milk
- zest of 1 lemon
- seeds of ½ vanilla bean or ½ tsp vanilla paste
- 20 g cocoa
- 60 g dark chocolate
Cooking method
Step 1
Heat the oven to 180°C. Line a muffin tray with muffin paper cases. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, lemon zest, cacao.
Step 2
Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie. In a large bowl beat eggs, milk, butter, vanilla, and chilled melted chocolate. Add dry ingredients. Quickly but gently stir with a silicone spatula until combined. The batter should not have an even structure. It is important not to over-mix it.
Step 3
With a spoon or pastry bag, fill muffin cases two-thirds full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the muffins rise, are firm to the touch and until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool in the tray for a few minutes. Then carefully lift out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Serve the muffins warm.
My tips and tricks:
If you would like to feel the pieces of chocolate in your muffin, then you can buy special chocolate drops. And if you can’t find them, then just break the chocolate bar into pieces and top the muffins with it after filling the muffin cases with the batter. You can take any chocolate: milk, white, or black. There can never be too much chocolate 🙂
- 100 g butter, softened
- 75 g sugar
- 2 eggs
- 275 g flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 225 ml milk
- zest of 1 lemon
- seeds of ½ vanilla bean or ½ tsp vanilla paste
- 20 g cocoa
- 60 g dark chocolate
- Heat the oven to 180°C. Line a muffin tray with muffin paper cases. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, lemon zest, cacao.
- Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie. In a large bowl beat eggs, milk, butter, vanilla, and chilled melted chocolate. Add dry ingredients. Quickly but gently stir with a silicone spatula until combined. The batter should not have an even structure. It is important not to over-mix it.
- With a spoon or pastry bag, fill muffin cases two-thirds full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the muffins rise, are firm to the touch and until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool in the tray for a few minutes. Then carefully lift out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Serve the muffins warm.