There are two types of muffins, the English Muffin and a cupcake-like quickbread that has a raised top. The English muffin is savory and is usually treated and used like regular bread. The American-type muffin is usually consumed as is. For this entry in the promptuary, we will be using the term to talk about the quickbread-type muffin that is popular in America. Muffins are usually the same size as a cupcake but it is differentiated by having a raised top that has a browned crust that is slightly crispy. This raised top usually considered the best part of the muffin as the browning and the crust adds an intense cookie-like flavor to the quickbread.
Muffin Trivia
- The Egg McMuffin from McDonald’s is made out of American Cheese, Canadian Bacon, and an English Muffin.
- The nursery rhyme “Muffin Man” was actually based in real life because many Victorian households in the 1800s had their muffins delivered to them along with other fresh foods by the “Muffin Man”
- American Muffins or just muffins have been in American cookbooks since the early 19th century cookbooks.
- The largest muffin weighed 323 pounds and was baked in Italy on October 16, 2015.
- Massachusetts has the corn muffin as its official state muffin, Minnesota has the blueberry muffin, and New York has the apple muffin.
Muffin Buying Guide
While there is a clear distinction between muffins and cupcakes, there will always be some confusion because they’re so alike in shape and size. We’ve put in the work and gathered all the differences between muffins and cupcakes so you can decide which one to get.
- Ingredients – Both muffins and cupcakes contain flour, eggs, butter, sugar, and milk. Muffins sometimes replace all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour or even nut flours.
- Texture and Mix–Ins – Cupcakes are, well, cakey in texture. Muffins, since they are quickbreads, have a more bread-like texture and may contain mix-ins like nuts and fruits.
- Frosting – Cupcakes usually have frosting. In fact, it’s hard to find a cupcake nowadays without frosting. For muffins, the mix-ins and the crisp raised top are more than enough to make the muffin exciting.
- Taste – Cupcakes are always sweet. Muffins can either be sweet or savory; a good example of a savory muffin is the corn muffin.
- Temperature – Cupcakes are always eaten cold, they are cakes you know. As for muffins, they can be eaten warm or cold.
Now, which one is better? Well, that’s up to you and what your mood calls for. If you’re looking to cure a cake hankering then a cupcake is the answer. If you’re looking for something more filling, then a muffin is the way to go.
Muffin Production & Farming in Texas
We really don’t want to live up to the stereotypes, but Texas muffins are truly larger than the average muffin size. If you do a quick search for a Texas muffin pan, you’ll see that they are indeed larger than your ordinary cupcake and muffin pans.
For specialty muffins, you don’t have to go further than your nearest farmers’ market, bakery, or coffee shop to get your muffin fix.
Another thing that sets Texas muffins apart from the rest is that small artisan muffin producers in Texas utilize grain that is sourced from artisan gristmills located around the state. Muffins made from naturally ground flour and not the commercially bleached flour are a lot healthier and contains more fiber, and are generally heartier in taste.
Preservatives, Additives, and Chemicals:
By now you’ve probably already gone through our other listings like the ones for bread, cupcakes, and other baked goods so you’ll probably have an idea of what preservatives and additives go into commercially produced muffins. Again, it’s best to avoid these additives and just stick to locally made artisan muffins that don’t use any of the additives in commercial products.
Packaging:
Muffins can either be packed in boxes, clamshells, or in single-use plastic bags. This is for both commercial and artisan muffins. Some bakeries prefer to keep it simple and just pack muffins in brown paper bags upon purchase.
Enjoying Muffins
Muffins can be enjoyed either hot, warm, or cold. Muffins can also be enjoyed for breakfast, as a snack, as a dessert, or as a full meal in itself depending on the type of muffin.
Storage:
Muffins, much like other quickbreads, can be stored at room temperature for up to three days before they start to go bad. For longer-term storage, you can freeze them in freezer bags and freeze for up to three months. To reheat, simply thaw it out and pop in the oven for a few minutes.
Make Your Own Muffins:
Here’s a quick and simple muffin recipe that you can use as a starting point for other muffin variations. Just add in your desired mix-ins and you’ll get a new muffin variety every time!
Ingredients:
All-purpose flour, 260g
Granulated sugar, 100g
Baking powder, 2 teaspoons
Salt, ½ teaspoon
Milk, Room Temperature, 180ml
Unsalted butter, melted and cooled, 114g
Large Eggs, room temperature, 2 pcs
Step 1:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin/cupcake pan with liners or cups.
Step 2:
In a bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together until mixed, set aside. In another bowl, mix the wet ingredients until well mixed.
Step 3:
Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients with a spatula until combined.
Step 4:
Divide the batter into the muffin/cupcake pan equally.
Step 5:
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick poked into the middle comes out clean.
Step 6:
Allow to cool for a few minutes and enjoy!
Tip: To make blueberry muffins, simply add blueberries to the mixture. To make chocolate chip muffins, add chocolate chips. The possibilities are endless!
