Where is it written that muffins must be buttered like a biscuit fresh from the oven? First of all, not all muffins should be served while they’re too hot to handle. Some are better served warm and in my opinion, many of the richer ones are best at room temperature.
As for butter, it’s an option not a requirement. I’ve been eating muffins straight up for years but I’ve also been experimenting with spreads that may seem completely off-the-wall: Pimiento Cheese, even Hummus (nothing like them to dress up a plain muffin) . . . Fresh Strawberry Butter (delicious on almost any plain muffin, whole-grain muffin, fruit-and-nut muffin) . . . ditto Maple Butter and Lemon Curd.
Guacamole? Try it on corn muffins. Perfect. The same can be said for salsas mild or hot, even Pico de Gallo. Whenever company’s coming, I like to put out all three so guests can choose whatever they fancy.
As I’ve said elsewhere, a frosted muffin is a cupcake. Not so a muffin sprinkled with Cinnamon-Sugar or Streusel (a buttery mix of sugar and flour and often nuts and spices, too).
The point of this chapter, then, is to share the many ways I like to jazz up muffins. Both before and after baking.
makes about 4 cups
If you like pimiento cheese as much as Southerners do, it pays to keep it at-the-ready in the refrigerator. Most Southern supermarkets sell it, but I prefer to make my own—and not just for sandwiches. I often spread it on a favorite muffin instead of butter, and of course, it’s terrific stuffed into celery or hollowed-out cherry tomatoes. Tip: The fastest way to grate an onion is on a Microplane. Note: To save time, I often prepare pimiento cheese entirely by food processor—it’s a snap if you have a sturdy model with an 11- to 14-cup bowl. Simply cut the cheese to fit the feed tube, pulse through the medium shredding disk, then tip onto a large piece of wax paper. Remove the shredding disk and insert the metal chopping blade. Next drop a 1-inch chunk of yellow onion into the work bowl and chop very fine. Add half the shredded cheese, all the other ingredients, then the remaining shredded cheese. Pulse just until the consistency of cream-style cottage cheese, pausing several times to scrape the work bowl. And there you have it: homemade pimiento cheese.
Note: Stored tightly covered in the coldest part of the refrigerator, pimiento cheese will keep for 5 to 7 days.
makes about 2 cups
Firm-ripe avocados are the only ones to use for this recipe, meaning those that barely yield when you press them gently with your fingers. I’d also say that Hass avocados are a must because this California cultivar with pebbly dark purplish-black skin has an exquisite nutty flavor, which explains why it accounts for 80 percent of the annual U.S. crop. You should never feel guilty about eating avocados. They’re superb sources of potassium, good sources, too, of vitamins A, C, and niacin (B3). Moreover, avocados are low in sodium, cholesterol-free, and the fat they contain is largely unsaturated. Finally, one medium avocado weighs in at about 240 calories, some 50 fewer than a cup of whole-milk fruit yogurt. I often make this guacamole several hours, sometimes even a day or two in advance, and store tightly covered in the refrigerator. I’ve discovered that if I press a double thickness of plastic food wrap flat over the surface of the guacamole and into all the little valleys, then snap on a tight-fitting lid, it will not darken. Try spreading guacamole on corn muffins instead of butter. I think you’ll like it. And if you should have any left over, serve later on with corn chips.
makes about 2 cups
Before electric blenders, before food processors, this garlicky Middle Eastern sesame seed spread was the very devil to make. In Lebanon and Jordan I’ve seen women pound sesame seeds to paste (tahini) using large mortars and pestles—exhausting, tedious work. In that part of the world, hummus is ladled over falafel tucked into pita bread or spread on a variety of crisp flatbreads. I also like it spread on plain muffins in lieu of butter, particularly Toasted Benne Seed Muffins and Falafel Muffin Tops. Note: The tahini (sesame seed paste) you buy at your supermarket may have separated, leaving half an inch or so of oil floating on top and a thick tan paste underneath. No problem. Simply scoop everything into an electric blender or food processor and buzz for a minute or so—the tahini magically emulsifies. Once open, tahini should be refrigerated to keep it from turning rancid. Tip: To give hummus deeper sesame flavor, I add a little Asian toasted sesame oil, which most supermarkets now stock. Look for it in the “international” food section, the place where you’ll also find tahini.
Note: Stored in a tightly capped container in the refrigerator, hummus keeps well for about a week.
makes about 2 cups
When tomatoes and fresh herbs are in season, salsa is a snap to make and handy to have on hand. Most of us ladle it into tacos. But why not muffins, especially corn muffins? Stored tightly covered in a nonreactive container in the refrigerator, salsa keeps well for about a week. Note: The best tomatoes to use for this recipe are Romas or plum tomatoes because they have firmer flesh and fewer seeds. Tip: Over time the cilantro or parsley will darken, so add just before serving.
makes about 2 cups
Not for nothing is this Mexican salsa named Pico de Gallo (“Rooster’s Beak”). It is fierce and sharp. “Liquid fire,” a Santa Fe friend once called it, a condiment to be used sparingly. I’ve tamed the heat here and when I’m in a Southwestern mood, serve little bowls of this Pico de Gallo with a favorite corn bread or muffin. Tip: Because the cilantro will darken, add shortly before serving.
Note: Stored tightly covered in a 1-pint glass preserving jar, pico de gallo keeps well for about a week.
makes about 2 cups
For centuries an English tea favorite, Lemon Curd (also called Lemon Cheese) was spread on scones or spooned into bite-size pastry shells. It still is—here as well as in Britain. Kept tightly capped in the refrigerator, lemon curd keeps well for several weeks. I find it particularly good with Sally Lunn Muffins, Blueberry-Ginger Muffins, indeed almost any plain muffin or fruit-nut muffin.
Variations:
Lime Curd: Prepare as directed but substitute fresh lime juice and zest for lemon. Makes about 2 cups.
Orange Curd: Prepare as directed but substitute freshly grated orange zest for lemon zest, but not orange juice for lemon juice. Makes about 2 cups.
makes about 1 cup
When I lived in New York, I often trekked up to the old Mayflower Hotel on Central Park West to breakfast with friends. What brought us there was the fresh strawberry butter served with waffles and pancakes and almost every other bread right out of the oven. It’s particularly good with muffins—basic ones, fruit-nut ones, or berry ones like Fresh Strawberry Muffins. Note: The time to make this recipe is when local berries are in season and full of flavor. Settling for out-of-season berries shipped from farms thousands of miles away is a waste of time and money.
makes about 1½ cups
Just the thing for Maple-Nut Muffins, but equally delicious on almost any muffin (other than corn muffins), pancake, or waffle. Note: This recipe, unlike the majority in this book, calls for salted butter and here’s why. If you try to beat a small amount of salt into this butter, even as little as ⅜ teaspoon, the salt crystals do not dissolve, leaving it unpleasantly gritty. Tip: I prefer Grade B maple syrup, which has more pronounced maple flavor than Grade A (see Sources).
makes 1 cup
I like to keep a batch of Cinnamon-Sugar on hand not only for cinnamon toast but also for mixing into baked goods or sprinkling on top of them—cookies, fruit-nut loaves, muffins, and so forth. I store Cinnamon-Sugar in a tightly capped half-pint preserving jar on my shelf of herbs and spices. It seems to keep forever. Note: Make sure the cinnamon you buy is a good one—a brand you know and trust. Believe it or not, there are several varieties of cinnamon out there, the two most popular being cassia (Chinese cinnamon) and true cinnamon (also known as Ceylon cinnamon), and that’s the one to use here. It’s less sweet than cassia and has the assertive spicy flavor that’s best for baking.
makes 1½ to 2 cups
Streusel is German for “scattered” or “sprinkled,” which is exactly what you do with these crumbly toppings. They not only dress up a variety of baked fruit desserts but many a muffin, too. I like streusel best on whole-grain or fruit-nut muffins (plenty of both in this book) and keep a plastic zipper bag of it ready and waiting in the freezer. It keeps well for about six months. Note: Whenever I top muffins with streusel, I bake them at 375˚F to minimize the risk of over-browning the rich, buttery streusel. So if the baking temperature of the muffins you plan to top with streusel is 400˚F, reduce it to 375˚F, bake the muffins a few minutes longer, and test for doneness as directed below.
Variations:
Spicy Streusel: Prepare as directed but add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and ½ teaspoon each ground ginger and freshly grated nutmeg. Makes 1½ to 2 cups.
Nut Streusel: Prepare as directed, then mix in ½ cup moderately finely chopped pecans or walnuts. Makes about 2 cups.