New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-09-29
BREAD FOR BREAKFAST.
NOTES FOR THE INEXPERIENCED COOK.
III.

DELICIOUS MUEFINs-THE CORN AND HoMiNY
MuFrINs OF THE soUTH-FRIED MUFFINs.
A muffin. to the average English mind. Is "a
spongy cake. baked gridde ana put'ere'
for less substantial meals" and 1t Is mus 'ha'
Webster defines It. 1t Is not the muffin OF our
grandmothers however. to which this article refers
but to that mongre modern breakfast cake wnich
is baked In patty pans In the oven IL Is genera'y
known as a breakfast muffin to distinguish 1t from
the English gridded muffin, which may be fouho
In perfection in our English bakeshops
The simplest form of muffin Is the pam "nea'
cake raised with baking powder. or It's equivalent
In soda and OF tartar. Unless you are Wiling
TO measure your soda and cream OF tartar eAae.s'
and mix them in with care II IL better 10 use oanns
powder and avoid the possibility OF uhsaVory
cooking s,reaks and spots of unmixed SOFA "hen
soda and cream OF tartar are used In recipe 'he'r
equivalent OF baking powder will also be men
/ toned for those who prefer to use H.
For the simplest wheat muffins Sill TWO cups Vi
the best pastry -four: bread or new process hour
will not give the result. Add TO the Hour an
even teaspoonfu Of the best cream OF tartar pur-
chased from a trustworthy druggist and rather
scant half teaspoonful OF soda purchased In the
same manner Sft the soda and cream OF tartar
through sieve with the -four; or. II baking powder
is used, substitute two teaspoonfuls OF IL Tor the
soda and cream of tartar. Rub liberal tablespoon
/
fine and granuated. Beat egg thoroughly with
a patent beater add it to a cup OF milk, and beat
the milk into the -four and other ingredients. and
then beat the batter thoroughly with the patent
beater The large-sized beaten Is best II double
rule Is used. but the smaller beater VIII do Tor the
quantity given here When the batter Is very
smooth and light put II into well-greased muffin
tins, filling them two-thrds full BAKE 'hem III
a hot oven for twenty minutes.
Lapand cakes especially delicate and oe-
licious variety of the muffin they are baked IN
stoneware cups. Beat to n stiff froth the whites
OF four eggs, using a wire cake whip ana Jay
them aside. Beat the yolks OF the eggs with
patent beaten and gradually add them to pint
of rich milk Beat this milk slowly into liberal
pint OF pastry -four with which half teaspoonfui
of salt has been sIfted Continue to use the patent
beater, and when the -four and milk and yoiks
form a smooth mixture without Jumps take out
the beater gradually fold In the beaten whites
OF eggs using the whip to do IT, MIX the
whites In quickly so to incorporate them with
the batter without breaking down the air-celis IN
the beaten egg DO not stir the batter with a
circular motion once after adding the whites.
Have a dozen cups OF heavy stoneware creased
ready These can always be purchased at house
furnishing shops In New-Engand. but may DE
difficult 10 procure In this city They will cost
about 60 cents dozen, and ought TO be IN every
kitchen for baking popovers and similar cakes
Bake these cakes three-quarters Of an hour In a
moderately hot oven.
Raised wheat mullins should be made Of the
best XXX patent process or bread hour. heat
pint OF milk to the boiling point and cool II. MIX
half of compressed yeast with the milk
when It is lukewarm and add also a liberal table
spoonful OF melted butter and two eggs beaten
Thoroughly with a patent beater Sift quart or
bread -four and teaspoonful OF salt Into large
earthen mixing bowl. warmed by scading out with
boiling water. Pour the warm milk In when the
yeast beaten eggs and softened butter nave Deen
mixed into the hour and beat the whole with
large mixing-spoon until the batter "Dlisters
Cover this batter closely. Set II near the stove at
about o'clock In the evening. In the morning about
o'clock fl twelve deep muffin tins halt luil anu
set them covered, whore they rise TO within one
quarter OF the top Bake the mullins for about nan
an hour Serve them once. the crust soon
hardens II they are left In the oven 70 keep warm
II you wish to recall the mullins OF your grand
mothers days when all cakes OF this kind were
baked a grlddle use the same rule out 90 not
put the mullins into tins. but let them rise TIL
about fifteen minutes before breakfast Is served
Meantime heat a gr.ddle thoroughly and lay small
muffin rings wei buttered, on 1t. The rings should
be heated as well az the grllde. FIJI the rings
about two-thris full, draw the grlddle little
+ back and let the mullins rise to the top Of the
ring It will take about five minutes. Then with
deft movement of the cake-turner. turn each one.
ring and ALL They should be we'll Drowned by
this time on the bottom but not burned. Let them
cook about five minutes longer. drawing the grdd.e
back to a hotter part of the stove II necessary.
IL Is troublesome to cook mullins In this way, put
the result Is a moist and tender cake. especially
nice TO serve with coffee The best rings for this
purpose are shallow and small With large rings
Il is difficult to cook the mullins through 80 that
they will not be partially sodden in the centre,
which is the normal condition of the large English
muffin of the bakeshops before 1t is toasted, as II
always should be.
After the wheat muffin. the most popular cake is
probably the corn or Indian meal muffin. The way
in which this is made depends upon the section OF
country where the meal Is purchased when muir
fins are made OF sweet. freshly ground white meal
of the South. sugar and eggs are superhuous; out
this delicious meal will not bear transportation and
cannot be procured in Northern markets except In
a Kindred state when It has about as much
flavor as sawdust. The best meal that can be pro-
cured at the North is the yellow meal, fresh from
the grist mill. In the cities 1t is impossible to get
this and the Kindred yellow meal is the best
that can be had IN order to produce satisfactory
muffin Of this meal. not only sugar, but butter and
eggs must be used to give 1t richness. The Cd
fashioned sour-miik Johnny-cake of yellow meal is
an impossibty without the sweet freshly ground
meal OF the old grist mill This is the explanation
of the richness OF the materials used In the follow
ing recipe for cornmeal mullins
Cream in a warm mixing bowl liberal quarter OF
n cup of butter and the same amount or sugar.
Add two we,l-beaten eggs, and finally a cup OF mik
in which an even teaspoonful OF soda has been DIS
solved Sft a cup and quarter of yellow corn
meal and a cup and quarter OF pastry nour with
two tabespoonfuls OF cream of tartar together and
stir in the butter eggs and milk and soda Beat
vel add another cup OF milk and beat again,
using If you wish. the patent egg-beater. Grease
a dozen deep muffin tins Fill them about two
thirds full and bake the mullins in hot oven for
thirty minutes. Use three tablespoonfuls OF baking
powder in place of the cream OF tartar ana SODA
you prefer
The homny muffin of the South recalls ante
bellum days when several kinds OF hot bread were
found on the average Southern table at every
meal Care must be taken In the purchase OF
hominy The best hom!ny is that made from the
Southern white flint corn. The attempt OF North
ern manufacturers to compete with the South IN
mis- material has thrown upon the marke; a great