english muffins Archives - The Midnight Baker

Cinnamon Raisin English Muffins

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 13 Sep 2022 23:00:14 +0000

Cinnamon raisin English muffins are so easy to make that you’ll never buy them again.

Cinnamon Raisin English Muffins: Nothing Beats Homemade

Cinnamon raisin English muffins are really easy to make! Many people have raised eyebrows about this, but it’s true! In fact, it’s one of the simplest things to make.

It’s also a very popular flavor. I think it’s right up there with the traditional English muffins. It’s one of my favorite flavors in the muffins, bread and bagels.

The cinnamon will color the dough, but don’t let that worry you. The results are totally delicious.

It Starts With A Starter

These cinnamon raisin English muffins begins with a starter. Technically it’s a “sour dough” but as with any sour dough breads, the flavor intensity is based on how long the starter sits.

With this recipe, if you’re in a hurry, it only has to sit for an hour. If you let it sit for 3 days, you’ll get a more intense flavor. I generally let my starter sit for 24 hours. As with any yeast dough, there’s a time investment for raising so even though the recipe is as easy as can be, there’s waiting time involved. However, the really great thing about this recipe is the dough can be put in the fridge to raise in there–for up to 3 days–so you can get a head start. It also means you can make them fresh when you need or want them.

Raisins

If you’re anything like me, you have raisins on hand that you bought some time ago. Even though I keep them in an air-tight container, they always seem to get dry.

So what I do is soak them in some warm water for about 15 minutes to plump them up, then drain them well and use them. I’d even recommend doing that regardless of the age of the raisins in this recipe. It’ll keep them juicy.

The Recipe

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Cinnamon Raisin English Muffins

Nothing beats homemade

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Rising Time & Starter3 30

Course: Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cinnamon raisin english muffins, homemade english muffins, sourdough english muffins

Servings: 12

Calories: 232kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

Starter:

3/4 cup bread flour Strong flour in UK
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1/2 tsp yeast the dry kind not fresh

Muffin Dough:

1 cup lukewarm milk NOT skim milk
1 tsp yeast instant or active dry
2 tbs sugar
2 tbs unsalted butter melted
1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup raisins
1-2 tbs ground cinnamon
3-3 1/4 cups bread flour strong flour in UK
Cornmeal
1 tsp butter for the griddle

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Mix the starter ingredients in a medium bowl (because it bubbles up). Cover and keep at room temperature for 12-36 hours. The longer it sits, the better the muffins will taste.
Using a stand mixer, combine the milk, yeast and the starter. Beat well so the starter is well incorporated into the milk.
Add the sugar, cinnamon, raisins, butter and salt. Add the flour, beginning with the lowest amount called for. Switch to the dough hook and knead for 8 minutes, adding additional flour so that the dough is soft yet not sticky. It should feel slightly tacky but not stick to your fingers nor the bowl.
Place dough in a lightly oiled large bowl, cover and let rise in the fridge overnight or up to 3 days.
Place dough on a lightly floured surface and shape into a round disk. With a large knife, cut 12 equal portions. Roll each portion into a smooth round ball.
Sprinkle some of the cornmeal on a large baking sheet. Place the balls about 2-inches/5 cm apart. Sprinkle the tops of the balls with cornmeal as well. Let rise until puffy--for cool dough this will take about 1 1/2-2 hours.
Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Grease the skillet or griddle with the butter (I use a tissue to distribute the butter then use the buttery tissue to grease the griddle for the next batches).
Working in batches (probably about 3-4 muffins depending on the size of your pan/griddle. Don't crowd the pan) cook the muffins for 5-6 minutes on one side until they're golden brown.
Flip the muffins and cook for 5-6 minutes on the other side, gently pressing the muffins down with a wide spatula to flatten slightly.
For extra insurance that the muffins are fully cooked, you can put them in a pre-heated 350F/180C oven for 5-8 minutes.

Nutrition

The post Cinnamon Raisin English Muffins appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Whole Grain English Muffin Mini Pizzas

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 19 Sep 2017 23:00:49 +0000

These whole grain English muffin mini pizzas are perfect when you want a quick snack!

Quick Snack Or Appetizer

These little whole grain English muffin mini pizzas go together so quickly!

And that fact alone makes them the perfect answer for after-school snacks, midnight munchies and appetizers for your next buffet.

Keeping in mind the upcoming holidays, don’t forget these pizzas make a perfect appetizer or buffet selection. They are easy to assemble and make a stunning presentation.

Healthier Selections That Taste Great

One thing I absolutely love is when something delicious also happens to be good for you.

Yes, healthy food can taste great! These mini pizzas are proof of that. I always felt that eating something solely because it’s “healthy” but doesn’t taste too good makes no sense.

In these pizzas, it’s the whole grain English muffins and the arugula that give them oomph. I love the taste of arugula because it has a deep earthy flavor and whole grain English muffins have a slightly sweet nuttiness. And those flavors go so well with the sauce, tomatoes and the cheese.

A Little Bacon Goes A Long Way

There are only 2 slices of bacon for the entire recipe.

I used lower-sodium regular bacon. I actually think the lower-sodium variety tastes better. If you haven’t tried it, please do. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

If you prefer to use turkey bacon, then go ahead and substitute it if you like the flavor. While I absolutely love turkey, I don’t care much for the taste of turkey bacon for some reason. I also read that it’s not anymore healthy than the regular variety. It may be lower in fat, but it’s loaded with the same preservatives that make regular bacon a not-so-healthy choice.

However, a little bit of bacon goes a long way flavor wise. The teaspoon or so on each pizza isn’t much but it packs a powerful punch as far as flavor is concerned. It’s really more of a condiment in this recipe.

Who Doesn’t Love Great Cookbooks?

I know the answer to that question–no one!!!

One of my favorite authors is Addie Gundry and her cookbooks are simply wonderful. Addie’s into quick and easy meals and desserts that taste great. Check out her cookbooks on Recipe Lion. There’s a bunch of sample recipes from both books that you can try before you buy. She has another one coming out soon thats got tons of great “nostalgia” recipes. I had the pleasure of reviewing that book before it went to publishing and it’s simply fantastic, so check back at Recipe Lion for availability.

The Recipe

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Whole Grain English Muffin Mini Pizzas

These whole grain English muffin mini pizzas are perfect when you want a quick snack!

Prep Time10

Cook Time5

Total Time15

Course: Appetizer, Brunch, pizza

Cuisine: American

Keyword: english muffin, mini pizzas

Servings: 12

Calories: 119kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

6 whole grain English muffins split in half and toasted
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1 cup arugula (rocket)
1/2 cup diced seeded tomato
2 slices bacon crumbled

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat broiler. Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
Place toasted English muffins on prepared sheet. Spread about 1-2 tbs pizza sauce on each muffin half. Distribute the shredded mozzarella evenly on all muffins.
Broil about 3-4 inches from broiler for 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbling.
Distribute arugula between each pizza. Top with about 1 tbs chopped tomato on each.
Sprinkle evenly with crumbled bacon.

Nutrition

*Adapted from BHG.com

The post Whole Grain English Muffin Mini Pizzas appeared first on The Midnight Baker.