The Complete Muffin Cookbook: The Ultimate Guide to Making Great Muffins [Paperback]

Gloria Ambrosia (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2005

Close your eyes and imagine biting into a still-warm-from-the-oven Black Cherry Blossom or Pumpkin-Banana Muffin. Choose from such tempting selections as Apple Ginger and Triple-Apricot Ambrosia Muffins. And muffins aren’t just for breakfast anymore. With the right combination of ingredients--think Swiss cheese, Dijon mustard, and tarragon--muffins are superb accompaniments to soups and salads, make a delicious snack, and are even welcome guests at the dinner table.

The Complete Muffin Cookbook is an extraordinary collection of delectable muffins that are made with wholesome, nutritious ingredients. There’s even a chapter on "Low-Fat-and-Still-Yummy" creations. Best of all, author and muffin-baker Gloria Ambrosia generously shares her muffin-making wisdom. Her list of staples, detailing the various types of flour, sweeteners, and utensils used, help make sure her muffins are not only sensational, but also quick and easy to prepare. She also reveals the tips and techniques she has gathered over the years--from blending the ingredients to freezing the baked masterpieces for later enjoyment. From start to finish, you can whip up a tasty batch in less than thirty minutes.

So get ready to treat yourself to Gloria’s exquisite array of muffins. Delicious, natural, immensely satisfying, and wonderfully simple to prepare, these taste-tempting delights can make any time of the day special.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

With intensity and earnestness, Ambrosia (Gloria's Glorious Muffins) presents the muffin as a humble treat that's "not only wholesome and nutritious but also delicious, heart-healthy, immensely satisfying, and suitable for enjoying any time of day." Muffins are not, as many consider them, cupcake substitutes; most of Ambrosia's recipes call for healthy ingredients like whole wheat pastry and unbleached white or whole wheat flour. Many of the muffins can be assembled in less than 20 minutes with inexpensive ingredients that are kitchen staples (molasses, brown sugar, etc.), though pricier ingredients (maple syrup, fresh raspberries, apple butter, etc.) also befit the simple muffin. Recipes span various types of meals and spice combinations; chapters showcase "Get-Up-and-Go Muffins," "Crunchy, Crumbly, Fruity, Spicy Do-Da Muffins," "Herby Cheesy Muffins Thangs" and "Low-Fat-and-Still-Yummy Muffins." All the regulars are here (sometimes with a twist)—Citrus-Poppy Seed Muffins, Glazed Sunrise Blueberry Muffins, Mexicali Corn Muffins—as well as some stranger-sounding varieties, like Pesto Muffins and Cosmic Cottage Dill Muffins. Ambrosia's loquacious chapter intros can become irksome, but do not take away from the book's overall usefulness. (Jan.)
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Review

"Ambrosia here presents her all-time favorite recipes developed over the years, including both savory and sweet treats...emphasis is on wholesome, nutritious muffins." (Library Journal )

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Product Details

• Paperback: 206 pages
• Publisher: Square One Publishers (November 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0757001793
• ISBN-13: 978-0757001796
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 7.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #721,036 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A winner--creative, healthful, delicious muffins, September 21, 2006

By 

Susan M (Upstate NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Muffin Cookbook: The Ultimate Guide to Making Great Muffins (Paperback)

This book contains so many intriguing recipes that I couldn't wait to try! I spent a few days experimenting eagerly with the ones that particularly caught my eye: Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Muffins (devoured by the whole family!), Ladda's Lemon Ginger Muffins (my daughter exclaimed, "There's a yummy burst of lemon flavor from the first bite!"), White Chocolate with Raspberry Muffins, Cafe Crumble Muffins, and even French Onion Soup Muffins. I can't wait to try out more of the recipes--such as Orange Cardamom Muffins and Steven's Sun-Dried Tomato Muffins (with spinach).

If you're not used to healthful baking, some of the ingredients might sound foreign, but find a natural foods store or a well-stocked grocery store, and give them a try--they're not only better for you than the white flour and sugar varieties but taste great, too! Pair these muffins with a salad or soup for a lovely, inspired meal.

In my opinion, you can't go wrong with a cookbook that contains a recipe for Seven-Factors-of-Enlightenment Muffins! Making these recipes is like a mindfulness meditation--you can slow down and savor the subtle aromas, flavors, and the interaction between the different ingredients, knowing you're creating something that's wholesome for your body, mind, and soul.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Yummy Muffins!, May 31, 2006

By 

L Smith "acozylover" (Macomb, MI) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Complete Muffin Cookbook: The Ultimate Guide to Making Great Muffins (Paperback)

Muffins are a favorite weekend staple in our household. Sometimes making a huge breakfast is not possible, and whipping up a batch of muffins is the way to have a quick, delicious breakfast. With that in mind, I picked up this book to add ideas to the simple "muffin mix in a box" that I tend to grab.

I was not disappointed. The book started with great information on ingredients that you can use to make great muffins (including the positives of different types of flour, milk, spices, etc.), the proper equipment, and the basic ingredients to have on hand so that you are able to whip up a batch anytime. Following are chapters including: "Get Up and Go Muffins", "Crunchy, Crumbly, Fruity, Spicy Do-Da Muffins", "Herby Cheesy Muffin Things", "Holiday, Special Occasion, and Good Time Muffins", "Extra Effort but Worth it Muffins", "Low Fat and Still Yummy Muffins", and "Top-Notch Toppings".

Some of my family's favorites include: Catherine's Lemon-Red Raspberry Muffins, Only Kids Need Apply Muffins, Almond Delight Muffins, Apple-iscious Apple Spice Muffins, Chai Muffins, Peachy Peach Muffins, Hushpuppy Muffins, Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese Muffins, Bananas Foster Muffins, Classic Colada Muffins, and Sugar Plum Fairy Muffins.

In my opinion, the only things lacking from this cookbook are a color photograph of each recipe, and a spiral binding to help the book lay flat. Otherwise this is a great cookbook for muffin lovers everywhere. Enjoy!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome book!, July 7, 2007

By 

Happy Baker (Greenville, Pa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Muffin Cookbook: The Ultimate Guide to Making Great Muffins (Paperback)

This is an awesome muffin cookbook! I have been searching for a book just like this one that has recipes for muffins that are tasty and also good for you for years. I love that the author uses whole grains, less sugar in most of the recipes, and adds nutritious ingredients to all of her muffins. Some of her listed ingredients can be exchanged for other ingredients to make the muffins vegan, if you choose. This cookbook is not for the baker who wants to bake with only white flour (all of the recipes call for some other type of flour such as whole wheat, rice, buckwheat, cornmeal, etc) or for those who scoff at alternative ingredients (such as applesauce, fruit purees, fruit juice concentrates, etc), but these recipes are still easy to prepare. I can't wait to try all of the recipes in this book and would strongly recommend it to anyone who also wants a healthy, good for you muffin cookbook!