Muffin But Troubles

When it comes to muffins, you want neither peaks nor valleys. What you want is a view of nicely capped, rolling hills, with no tunnels. Such scenic muffins aren't hard to achieve; it's all in the mixing.

If you whip your batter smooth, you're going to end up with peaked and tunneled muffins that are tough and rubbery. Yuck! If you undermix them, you'll end up on the flat plains with dusty globs of flour to gnaw on. Master the art of folding, and you'll enjoy gorgeous muffins every time. To fold, scrape the bowl half-way around its circumference. Then slowly pull the spatula through the batter, across the bottom of the bowl and up through the center of the batter. Turn the bowl and repeat until the batter is evenly moistened (no flour shows). Don't stir or mix the batter, just fold for 20 +/- strokes. The batter may still be lumpy, but in muffin mastery, that's what you want.




* DVO welcomes your kitchen hints and cooking or nutrition questions! Email us and we'll post your hints and Q/A's in upcoming newsletters! *