What's quick, easy, and sure to bring on the smiles? Muffins, of course! For recipes that are sweet, savory, or just over the top, look no further than The Ultimate Muffin Book. From classics like Berry and Corn Muffins to new favorites like Margarita and savory Quiche Lorraine Muffins, Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough once again take an American fun-food classic to new heights by offering more than 600 recipes and variations for absolutely every muffin imaginable. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, anyone? Or luscious Hazelnut? Or what about Pizza Muffins for kids of all ages? Low-fat, nonfat, gluten-free, dense, and decadent -- they're all here, as well as baking tips, an ingredients guide, and a witty history of how the muffin came to be an American institution. Muffins. Is there a better way to make everyone in your life smile?
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Book Description
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
The talented team behind the Ultimate cookbook series (The Ultimate Shrimp Book; The Ultimate Brownie Book; etc.) brings its ebullient creativity to this very American quick bread, explaining muffins' origins and providing many tips on technique, ingredients and equipment. They also include a source guide and an extremely helpful list of recipes by ingredient (e.g., all muffins with chocolate). The authors present their 101 master muffin recipes alphabetically—Almond through Zucchini—and offer several variations for each. Recognizing the recent "cupcakeization" of muffins, Weinstein and Scarbrough offer quite a few light and/or savory selections, such as Low-Fat Banana or Green Onion Parmesan. But there is no denying their sweet tooth, as witnessed by Coffeecake and Marmalade Muffins for breakfast, or Fudge, Macaroon, and Pineapple Upside-Down Muffins for dessert. Those on special diets will relish the selection of dairy- and gluten-free muffins, and for holidays, cooks might consider Haroseth, Fruitcake or Sweet Potato Casserole Muffins. Some of the ingredient combinations veer into the questionable (e.g., frankfurter-laden Corn Dog Muffins, Strawberry Black Pepper Muffins, or Duck Confit Quiche Muffins). Still, it's hard to resist the authors' user-friendly instructions, punchy head notes, clever suggestions and enthusiasm for their subject. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
About the Author
Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough are the award-winning authors of nineteen cookbooks. They are contributing editors to Eating Well and columnists for weightwatchers.com, and they contribute regularly to Cooking Light, Fine Cooking, the Washington Post, and other publications. When they're not teaching cooking on Holland America cruise ships, they live in rural Litchfield County, Connecticut, with a fairly sane collie named Dreydl.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
62 of 64 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is the eighth `Ultimate' cookbook title for authors Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough. Others have been on chocolate cookies, potatoes, brownies, shrimp, candy, ice cream, and party drinks. This is the first of this series I have reviewed and I sense the format works much better for a subject like muffins, brownies, and chocolate cookies, where all recipes have a lot in common than it does for potatoes or candy, where there is a large variation in cooking techniques.
The cover announces that the book contains over 600 recipes for sweet and savory muffins. This blurb may be misleading in two ways. First, there are only 100 full-page recipes, with each recipe expanded by up to eight (8) variations, and each variation is treated as a recipe. The potential number of preparations may go well beyond the 600 if you combine the 100 basic recipes with the ten (10) toppings (icings) recipes, giving a thousand variations. For sure, some toppings will simply not go with some muffins, but you get the idea.
By `muffin', the authors mean the classic American muffin that is a chemically leavened quickbread baked in a muffin tin, developing a domelike cap, and typically not iced. Unlike a cupcake, muffin recipes are meant to stand on their own, so they typically have more moisture and more flavor than the cupcake, since the icing is what usually carries the water for a cupcake. The authors specifically exclude the `English' muffin that is an entirely different animal.
The very best part of this book is the first chapter, `Making Muffins' which includes just about every tip you could possibly imagine regarding muffins, plus important notes on equipment and ingredients. The authors get double points from me for including the simple recipe for making your own baking powder and for the suggestion to use powdered buttermilk. I had already discovered this product, but this is a boon to everyone who buys a quart of buttermilk to make a batch of biscuits or muffins and has ľ of the quart go bad in two weeks. The authors are probably a little conservative with their estimates of the shelf life of baking soda and baking powder, although I will take proper note of their warning about measuring the life of baking powder from the date you open the can. Personally, I have successfully used an open can of baking powder for 6 months after opening. I also suspect the shelf life of baking powder is a lot longer than their 3 months. Unlike the mixture baking powder, baking soda is a simple inorganic chemical, almost as inert as salt unless it is added to an acidic liquid. The warning against using baking soda that has been used as a refrigerator deodorizer is not based on its loss of efficacy but is based on the noxious odors it may bring to the party.
The 100 primary recipes are arranged alphabetically, which, in this type of book, is a really good idea until you get to recipes which are not named according to their distinguishing ingredient, as in `Basic Muffin' and `Mexican Muffin'. Otherwise, this is excellent for a book you will go to a few times a year for holiday recipes, bake sales, and special brunches. This organization is supplemented by a cross-reference of recipes by most important characteristic other than the dominant flavoring. This groups, for example, all bran, cornmeal, chocolate, gluten-free, and low fat recipes together.
Considering the amount of detail given in the introduction cited above, the individual recipes are still quite detailed, with a prudent repetition of some of the more important warnings, such as the caution to use room temperature eggs and melted, but not too hot butter in the preparation.
Any fault found with this book would never rise above the level of nit picking, as the book is so successful at being a guide to baking good muffins. One nit I must pick with the copy editor is the use of the term `silicon' baking tins where the authors surely meant `silicone'. What is meant was a flexible, stick-resistant plastic. What was said was glass. The authors did a great service in warning us about the fact that the volumes of muffin tins often vary and different sizes can mean different baking times. I think they could have improved this point and some others by a few simple pictures. In the `room for improvement' category, a cross-reference of recipes to holidays and seasons would have been keen, especially as there are some recipes for less well known Jewish holiday occasions (See Haroseth muffins, p. 98). The writing is not quite as entertaining as Jim Villas' quips in his book `Biscuit Bliss', but then, these authors are not Jim Villas. Get both books. There is no overlap, as both authors stay on message very well.
This is an excellent treatment of a subject that works well with this approach. This gives us a great reference, saving us the journey through half a dozen other books for just the right muffin recipe.
The cover announces that the book contains over 600 recipes for sweet and savory muffins. This blurb may be misleading in two ways. First, there are only 100 full-page recipes, with each recipe expanded by up to eight (8) variations, and each variation is treated as a recipe. The potential number of preparations may go well beyond the 600 if you combine the 100 basic recipes with the ten (10) toppings (icings) recipes, giving a thousand variations. For sure, some toppings will simply not go with some muffins, but you get the idea.
By `muffin', the authors mean the classic American muffin that is a chemically leavened quickbread baked in a muffin tin, developing a domelike cap, and typically not iced. Unlike a cupcake, muffin recipes are meant to stand on their own, so they typically have more moisture and more flavor than the cupcake, since the icing is what usually carries the water for a cupcake. The authors specifically exclude the `English' muffin that is an entirely different animal.
The very best part of this book is the first chapter, `Making Muffins' which includes just about every tip you could possibly imagine regarding muffins, plus important notes on equipment and ingredients. The authors get double points from me for including the simple recipe for making your own baking powder and for the suggestion to use powdered buttermilk. I had already discovered this product, but this is a boon to everyone who buys a quart of buttermilk to make a batch of biscuits or muffins and has ľ of the quart go bad in two weeks. The authors are probably a little conservative with their estimates of the shelf life of baking soda and baking powder, although I will take proper note of their warning about measuring the life of baking powder from the date you open the can. Personally, I have successfully used an open can of baking powder for 6 months after opening. I also suspect the shelf life of baking powder is a lot longer than their 3 months. Unlike the mixture baking powder, baking soda is a simple inorganic chemical, almost as inert as salt unless it is added to an acidic liquid. The warning against using baking soda that has been used as a refrigerator deodorizer is not based on its loss of efficacy but is based on the noxious odors it may bring to the party.
The 100 primary recipes are arranged alphabetically, which, in this type of book, is a really good idea until you get to recipes which are not named according to their distinguishing ingredient, as in `Basic Muffin' and `Mexican Muffin'. Otherwise, this is excellent for a book you will go to a few times a year for holiday recipes, bake sales, and special brunches. This organization is supplemented by a cross-reference of recipes by most important characteristic other than the dominant flavoring. This groups, for example, all bran, cornmeal, chocolate, gluten-free, and low fat recipes together.
Considering the amount of detail given in the introduction cited above, the individual recipes are still quite detailed, with a prudent repetition of some of the more important warnings, such as the caution to use room temperature eggs and melted, but not too hot butter in the preparation.
Any fault found with this book would never rise above the level of nit picking, as the book is so successful at being a guide to baking good muffins. One nit I must pick with the copy editor is the use of the term `silicon' baking tins where the authors surely meant `silicone'. What is meant was a flexible, stick-resistant plastic. What was said was glass. The authors did a great service in warning us about the fact that the volumes of muffin tins often vary and different sizes can mean different baking times. I think they could have improved this point and some others by a few simple pictures. In the `room for improvement' category, a cross-reference of recipes to holidays and seasons would have been keen, especially as there are some recipes for less well known Jewish holiday occasions (See Haroseth muffins, p. 98). The writing is not quite as entertaining as Jim Villas' quips in his book `Biscuit Bliss', but then, these authors are not Jim Villas. Get both books. There is no overlap, as both authors stay on message very well.
This is an excellent treatment of a subject that works well with this approach. This gives us a great reference, saving us the journey through half a dozen other books for just the right muffin recipe.
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful
By Cate
Format:Paperback
I purchased this book about a year ago and have used it so often, the pages are adorned with flour and sugar stains, splashes of milk and vanilla!
My three year old son and I embark on bi-weekly "cupcake" adventures, and so far, we've made the chocolate chip muffins, low-fat chocolate chip muffins, applesauce muffins, beer muffins, blueberry muffins, cheddar muffins, graham cracker muffins, cocoa muffins, corn muffins, and peanut butter muffins. They have all been delicious, depending on one's preferences. In fact, they've been so good that we frequently re-make the recipes we've already tried instead of moving on to attempt new ones (usually my son's vote).
Additionally, there are so many recipes listed, one can sit down with the book prior to a special event and select many recipes to complement that day (for Christmas this year, I made batches of the peanut butter, chocolate chip, graham cracker, and blueberry muffins--we had three guests and the muffins were gone in TWO days). Additionally, there are a number of recipes that could accompany dinners (we made the corn muffins one evening when we had chili and the beer muffins on Thanksgiving). I am eager to try the Quiche Lorraine muffins for breakfast the next time we have weekend visitors and am considering making the cheesecake muffins for an upcoming picnic.
One of my favorite things about this book is the way that nutritious ingredients are often incorporated into the recipes. The carrot muffins are a nice way of getting a child to eat carrots, and many of the recipes are made with applesauce (my son does not touch fruit, so even though the amount of applesauce is negligible, I count this! He also will not blueberries by themselves but will inhale a blueberry "cupcake!") There are also several variations listed for each recipe (i.e. the graham cracker muffins can be made with a layer of jam spread inside or with chocolate chips), and there are many recipes for "toppings" at the end of the book; we haven't tried any of those, yet, but would like to make the cinnamon streusel topping in the future.
I highly recommend this book. Between it and "How to Cook Everything" by Mark Bittman, I feel like I'm running a gourment kitchen and bakery all in one.
My three year old son and I embark on bi-weekly "cupcake" adventures, and so far, we've made the chocolate chip muffins, low-fat chocolate chip muffins, applesauce muffins, beer muffins, blueberry muffins, cheddar muffins, graham cracker muffins, cocoa muffins, corn muffins, and peanut butter muffins. They have all been delicious, depending on one's preferences. In fact, they've been so good that we frequently re-make the recipes we've already tried instead of moving on to attempt new ones (usually my son's vote).
Additionally, there are so many recipes listed, one can sit down with the book prior to a special event and select many recipes to complement that day (for Christmas this year, I made batches of the peanut butter, chocolate chip, graham cracker, and blueberry muffins--we had three guests and the muffins were gone in TWO days). Additionally, there are a number of recipes that could accompany dinners (we made the corn muffins one evening when we had chili and the beer muffins on Thanksgiving). I am eager to try the Quiche Lorraine muffins for breakfast the next time we have weekend visitors and am considering making the cheesecake muffins for an upcoming picnic.
One of my favorite things about this book is the way that nutritious ingredients are often incorporated into the recipes. The carrot muffins are a nice way of getting a child to eat carrots, and many of the recipes are made with applesauce (my son does not touch fruit, so even though the amount of applesauce is negligible, I count this! He also will not blueberries by themselves but will inhale a blueberry "cupcake!") There are also several variations listed for each recipe (i.e. the graham cracker muffins can be made with a layer of jam spread inside or with chocolate chips), and there are many recipes for "toppings" at the end of the book; we haven't tried any of those, yet, but would like to make the cinnamon streusel topping in the future.
I highly recommend this book. Between it and "How to Cook Everything" by Mark Bittman, I feel like I'm running a gourment kitchen and bakery all in one.
37 of 45 people found the following review helpful
By AnnT
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Apple Muffin recipe - great. Black Forest muffin recipe - in the TRASH(after buying almond extract, eggs, milk, sour cherries, chocolate). Baked beautifully - smelled great - tasted - too horrible to describe. Like one of those Little Rascal episodes where someone pours the wrong ingredient into a cake batter. When I contacted one of the authors, Bruce, he (or someone answering his email) replied: "Yes - there's 3/4 cup of sugar missing...you might enjoy ... our other books...."
Aside from the ingredients and TIME and energy wasted - this recipe was obviously not tested after publication. How much more should we waste on other recipes in the book? Here's the reply:
................
................
First off, I am truly sorry that you had a bad experience baking one our recipes. I am sorry that you had to spend money on ingredients for that recipe. Yes, there is a mistake. There is no sugar listed and there should be. There should be 3/4 cup sugar added to the egg yolk, milk, and sour cream mixture. This error will be fixed in future printings.
I am glad that you enjoyed th apple muffins. They are a variation on an apple cake that my grandmother used to make me. I am sure she'd be delighted that people are enjoying it. I hope you have also tried some of our other books. You might really enjoy the ultimate ice cream book or the ultimate brownie book.
Take Care
--Bruce Weinstein
Aside from the ingredients and TIME and energy wasted - this recipe was obviously not tested after publication. How much more should we waste on other recipes in the book? Here's the reply:
................
................
First off, I am truly sorry that you had a bad experience baking one our recipes. I am sorry that you had to spend money on ingredients for that recipe. Yes, there is a mistake. There is no sugar listed and there should be. There should be 3/4 cup sugar added to the egg yolk, milk, and sour cream mixture. This error will be fixed in future printings.
I am glad that you enjoyed th apple muffins. They are a variation on an apple cake that my grandmother used to make me. I am sure she'd be delighted that people are enjoying it. I hope you have also tried some of our other books. You might really enjoy the ultimate ice cream book or the ultimate brownie book.
Take Care
--Bruce Weinstein
Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not impressed
I actually was going to return this book. I do not like cookbooks that do not include pictures, granted these are all muffins but still I like to compare mine to what they are... Read more
Published 21 months ago by kris lowden
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic Muffin Book
Wow, did I get a great book - this muffin book has many, many savory muffin recipes in it which is a relief from the same-old, same-old cloying sweet iced muffins. Read more
Published on December 3, 2010 by Bill
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good results
I like the book and the many suggestions for variations. Recipes baked up well, but some adjustments to baking time were needed. Lowfat recipes were also tasty. Read more
Published on August 25, 2010 by Goldilocks
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awsome book and great tips!!!
I have just started making muffin tops to sell and this book is chalk full of great recipes as well as tips and sources to purchase ingredients from. Read more
Published on December 6, 2009 by A. Dubois
2.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing
I like the idea of this book - basic recipes for muffins with variations on each theme. I liked the helpful tips, and the recipes for toppings in the back of the book. Read more
Published on October 18, 2008 by Avid reader
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love it!
I borrowed this book from our public library and after renewing it 3 times, I decided I'd better just buy it! Read more
Published on June 30, 2008 by LK
3.0 out of 5 stars
Muffins
This cook book is okay but not great. They have neat muffin flavors but the recipes turn out kind of dry muffins.
Published on April 7, 2008 by D. Fluit
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nice Addition to any Collection
I have, literally, dozens of baking books that cover everything from flatbreads to pies. I was pleased to add this one to my collection. Read more
Published on April 5, 2008 by Paul Creighton
1.0 out of 5 stars
Just waste of time
I bought this book after reading what other buyers had to say about it. But I realized I made a mistake. Read more
Published on June 3, 2007 by Lakshmiranga Vootikanti
5.0 out of 5 stars
great muffin book
I highly recommend this book. It is so wonderful. I've made many of the recipes and they have all turned out great. Read more
Published on May 7, 2007 by MLB
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