These are one of America’s nicest gifts to the culinary world. They are light little quick breads, baked in deep, round tins and served hot for breakfast, with coffee, or with soups or salads.
It is important to remember when you mix American muffins that the liquid ingredients should be mixed into the dry ones with a few swift strokes, just enough to moisten the flour – the mixture should still be lumpy. Overmixing will produce tough, coarse-textured muffins. Spoon the mixture into each tin in one large spoonful, pushing it off with the spoon held low, to avoid stretching the elastic gluten strands in the flour.