Published January 1, 1997.
When developing our muffin recipe, we wanted to wind up with a muffin with a rich, full flavor and a thick, crisp crust protecting its fragile, tender crumb. We wanted our muffin recipe to produce a real beauty, sporting a perfectly round, mushroom-like cap with a pronounced and crisp overhang. We began by testing mixing techniques and chose creaming, which produced the most tender crumb. Liquids were up next, and we found that low-fat yogurt delivered the finest crumb and the most rounded and crusty top. To get that big mushroom-like cap, we increased the amount of batter by one-third.
Remember, if you're short on time, you can melt the butter, mix it with the eggs, and stir it into the dry ingredients. When thoroughly mixed, beat in the yogurt and proceed with the recipe. To cinnamon-coat muffin tops, dip warm muffins in melted butter, then in mixture of one-half cup granulated sugar and two teaspoons cinnamon.
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