Muffin Recipe

gary29428

Does anybody have a recipe for those really moist type muffins you can buy in most petrol stations around the country. I have tried several recipes but they always seem to come out with more of a fairy cake texture and not that heavy texture of shop bought ones.

Thanks in advance.....

The Hill Billy

Hi OP - You may get a better response here in C&P.

HB

phormium

It is not really possible to exactly duplicate shop bought 'muffins' at home because they are in general made from a bulk powder mix with the addition of water and possibly oil, similar to cake mixes that you buy in supermarkets. These normally would have added humectants that keep the cakes moist and the texture of most mixes is much denser than a homemade cake made from standard ingredients such as flour, butter, sugar and eggs which will naturally go stale rather than remain moist for as long as a processed mix.

Also what are commonly referred to as 'muffins' in this country are really just giant buns, they have been adapted from the American muffin which is more of hybrid between cake and a rich bread. American muffins have less sugar in proportion to other ingredients and the most common would contain fruit such as blueberries, raspberries, dried fruit etc, the texture is much more open and they can also contain bran/wholemeal flour which is why they are more or less considered a breakfast food. Having the standard Irish supermarket muffin for breakfast is basically having cake for breakfast, fine once you are aware of it.

Having said all that here is a recipe I came across while trying out new recipes for cupcakes, I dismissed this one as I thought it tasted similar to a shop bought muffin -

(American cup measures)
2 cups plain flour
2 cups caster sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1&1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1&1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup butter (approx 125g) - very very soft without being melted
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
(Add some chocolate chips if you have them, not essential.)

Beat the lot together well for 2 mins or so (kind of a runny batter), put in muffin cases, bake at 175, 15-20 mins approx, test with toothpick.

gary29428

Thanks for that, will try it at the weekend. Have just done another "muffin" recipe today and while very nice once again was just a big fairy cake. Obviously the shop bought varieties have a lot of unpleasentries to make them stay moist and sticky for a length of time.

phormium

Exactly, you have it in one, it is unlikely you will replicate mass produced muffins unless you have a bag of chemically enhanced processed powder in some kitchen press!

Eviledna

You could not get a more compreshensive explanation of the muffin situation than these:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-D7zwa1vUk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZJBXftTnms

gary29428

I followed the above recipe to the tee but (and not for the first time) the muffins have not risen properly. They seem to just rise a bit then flow over the top of the bun case and end up with a flat top instead of a nice peak. Anybody any idea where I am going wrong, this has happened a good few times when I've been baking buns or muffins.

Eviledna

Could be insufficient raising agent, but more likely it is your oven. First of all, don't ever open the door of the oven whilst baking. Secondly, buy an inexpensive oven thermometer, it will tell you if your oven is colder than required. Or simply raise the cooking temp by 5-10 degrees and keep an eye on them.

Cold air flops muffins/cupcakes. Keep that door closed, no peeking!;)

Redpunto

Not exactly a made from scratch recipie but Betty Crockers Devil food mix - i used it to make cupcakes and they were so moist and yummy.

Rasmus

with the shop style muffins, staying closer to an American recipe can work, but in my experience the key to having texture and and bulk in a muffin is to NOT beat the mixture to a fine 'paste'. It should still be lumpy while still having absorbed the flour mixture.
Fill the mixture to the level of the the tin or muffin case, so you get sufficient overlap too (for that perfect muffin top!!)