Monday, March 16, 2009

Muffin

Have you had your breakfast this morning? If you haven't, muffin would be a perfect choice for breakfast, isn't it? I love muffin. I prefer muffin than cupcake. I can say that I'm a muffin maker/lover. I bake muffin quite often. My fave muffin is vanilla muffin. Not too sweet but you still can get the smell of the fresh and warm vanilla. Yum=)

So, suddenly I came across this curiosity. Who 'invented' muffin? Where's it come from? And so on and so forth. And here are my findings.

  • The word "muffin" was first registered in English in 1703 as "moofin", possibly derived from the Old French moufflet, which meant "soft" in reference to bread, or from the Low German muffen, meaning "small cakes".
  • Muffins may have started out as a type of small cake or as an alternative to cornbread.
  • English style muffins which are yeast raised and cooked on a griddle while American style muffins are 'quick breads' made in individual molds.
  • Muffin recipes first began to appear in print in the mid 18th century and quickly caught on.
  • Packaged muffin mixes were introduced to the marketplace in the 1950s. Muffins went on to be marketed as an alternative to doughnuts in the 1960s.
  • Originally eaten by the "downstairs" servants in England's Victorian society. The family baker made English muffins from leftover bread and biscuit dough scraps and mashed potatoes. Once members of the "upstairs" family tasted these rich muffins, they began to request them for themselves - especially during teatime.

Many people also say that muffin is a really good 'comfort food'. You can define comfort food as food that tastes good and brings you comfort, therefore can make you feel happy. Somekind of mood uplifting food. And if you know Nigella Lawson (a cook - an English food writer, journalist and broadcaster), she suggests muffin as a comfort food. You should see how she makes muffin. Soooo easy and very simple. But I believe the taste is sooo delicious. Well, what are you waiting for. Go grab some muffins. I'm gonna bake muffins later on. Hope I can share it with you all.
"You don't get tired of muffins, but you don't find inspiration in them."- George Bernard Shaw
“Well, I can't eat muffins in an agitated manner. The butter would parobably get on my cuffs. One should always eat muffins quite calmly. It is the only way to eat them.”- Oscar Wilde

(source: foodreference, squidoo, kitchenproject - image source from foodgawker.com)

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