The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (264 page)

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

A corn muffin shouldn’t be as sweet and fluffy as a cupcake, nor should it be dense and “corny” like cornbread. It should taste like corn, but not overpoweringly, and should be moist with a tender crumb and a crunchy top. Our mission was to come up with a recipe that struck just the right balance in both texture and flavor. The cornmeal itself proved to be an important factor, and degerminated meal just didn’t have enough corn flavor. A fine-ground, whole grain meal provided better flavor and texture. Butter, sour cream, and milk provided the moisture, fat (for richness), and acidity (for its tenderizing effect) that we wanted. We tried mixing the ingredients with both the quick-bread and creaming methods; not only was the former the easier way to go, but it also resulted in less airy, cakey muffins. We got our crunchy top from a 400-degree oven. These muffins were subtly sweet, rich but not dense, and with a texture that was neither cake nor cornbread.

MAKES 12 MUFFINS

We prefer stone-ground cornmeal because it has a fuller flavor but any kind of cornmeal will work.

1.
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 12-cup muffin tin with vegetable oil spray.

2.
Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in medium bowl. Whisk eggs in second medium bowl until well combined and light-colored, about 20 seconds. Add sugar to eggs and whisk vigorously until thick and homogeneous, about 30 seconds. Add melted butter in 3 additions, whisking to combine after each addition. Add 6 tablespoons sour cream and ¹⁄
₄
cup milk and whisk to combine, then whisk in remaining 6 tablespoons sour cream and remaining ¹⁄
₄
cup milk until combined.

3.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix gently with rubber spatula until batter is just combined and evenly moistened (do not overmix). Using ice cream scoop or large spoon, divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups, dropping batter to form mounds (do not level or flatten batter).

4.
Bake until muffins are light golden brown and toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out clean, about 18 minutes, rotating muffin tin halfway through baking. Let muffins cool in muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack, let cool 5 minutes longer, and serve warm.

Cook 3 slices bacon, cut into ¹⁄
₂
-inch pieces, in 10-inch skillet over medium heat until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Add 10 thinly sliced scallions, ¹⁄
₄
teaspoon salt, and ¹⁄
₈
teaspoon pepper and cook to heat through, about 1 minute. Transfer mixture to plate to cool while making muffins. Follow recipe for Corn Muffins. Reduce sugar to ¹⁄
₂
cup. Stir 1¹⁄
₂
cups grated cheddar cheese and bacon mixture into wet ingredients, then add to dry ingredients and combine. Before baking, sprinkle ¹⁄
₂
cup grated cheddar cheese over muffins.

We prefer stone-ground cornmeal because it has a fuller flavor but any kind of cornmeal will work.

TOPPING

MUFFINS

1.
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 12-cup muffin tin with vegetable oil spray.

2. FOR THE TOPPING:
In food processor, process sugar and orange zest until pale orange, about 10 seconds. Transfer to small bowl and set aside.

3. FOR THE MUFFINS:
Pulse apricots in food processor until chopped fine, about 10 pulses. Transfer to medium bowl, add orange juice, cover, and microwave until simmering, about 1 minute. Let apricots stand, covered, until softened and plump, about 5 minutes. Strain apricots; discard juice.

4.
Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in medium bowl. Whisk eggs in second medium bowl until well combined and light-colored, about 20 seconds. Add granulated sugar and brown sugar to eggs and whisk vigorously until thick and homogeneous, about 30 seconds. Add melted butter in 3 additions, whisking to combine after each addition. Add 6 tablespoons sour cream and ¹⁄
₄
cup milk and whisk to combine, then whisk in remaining 6 tablespoons sour cream and remaining ¹⁄
₄
cup milk until combined. Stir in orange zest and strained apricots.

5.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix gently with rubber spatula until batter is just combined and evenly moistened (do not overmix). Using ice cream scoop or large spoon, divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups, dropping batter to form mounds (do not level or flatten batter). Sprinkle each muffin with orange-sugar topping.

6.
Bake until muffins are light golden brown and toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out clean, about 18 minutes, rotating muffing tin halfway through baking. Let muffins cool in tin for 10 minutes; serve warm.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Popovers, as their name suggests, should rise high over the lip of the popover pan. They should have crisp edges and an airy, moist, but not wet, eggy interior. We found that blending the batter (eggs, milk, flour, melted butter, and salt) together until smooth, then letting the batter rest, made the highest popovers. While some recipes dictate placing popovers into a cold oven, we found that preheating the popover pan actually helped set the batter best for the greatest rise.

MAKES 6

High heat is crucial to the speedy, high rise of popovers. When it’s time to fill the preheated popover pan with batter, get the pan out of and back into the oven as quickly as possible, making sure to close the oven door while you pour the batter into the pan. Popovers made in a muffin tin won’t rise nearly as high as those made in a popover pan, but they still taste quite good (see the variation).

1.
Process eggs and milk together in blender until smooth. Add flour, melted butter, and salt and continue to process on high speed until batter is bubbly and smooth, about 1 minute. Cover and let batter rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

2.
While batter is resting, measure ¹⁄
₂
teaspoon oil into each cup of popover pan. Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place popover pan in oven, and heat oven to 450 degrees.

3.
After batter has rested, pour it into 4-cup liquid measuring cup or another container with a spout (you should have about 2 cups batter). Working quickly, remove pan from oven and divide batter evenly among 6 cups in pan. Return pan to oven and bake for 20 minutes (do not open oven door).

4.
Lower heat to 350 degrees and continue to bake until popovers are golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes longer. Gently flip popovers out onto wire rack and let cool slightly before serving.

Increase oil to 5 teaspoons. Use 12-cup muffin tin in place of popover pan and grease only 10 outer cups of tin. In step 3, divide batter evenly among outer 10 muffin cups.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

We wanted doughnuts that were crunchy on the outside, tender yet sturdy on the inside, laced delicately with the flavor of nutmeg, and as greaseless as fried doughnuts could be. For the frying oil, we tested all kinds of vegetable oil and had almost settled on peanut until we tried vegetable shortening. It won hands down, producing a much less greasy doughnut than the peanut oil. Temperature was important, too. At 350 degrees, the dough absorbed too much oil; at 385 degrees the outside started to burn before the inside could cook through. We got our best results by heating the oil to 375 degrees before adding the doughnuts; it fell back to 360 to 365 degrees once the doughnuts were dropped in. It was also important to bring the oil back up to 375 before adding each new batch of doughnuts. Although some recipes called for cooking times as long as 1¹⁄
₂
minutes, we found that was too long; the longer the doughnuts cooked, the greasier they got. The shorter the frying time, the less chance the shortening had to penetrate the dough. We found just under a minute was ideal.

MAKES 15 TO 17 DOUGHNUTS

For a chewier doughnut with a less crisp exterior, add ¹⁄
₄
cup of flour. The dough can be made by hand, using a large bowl with a wooden spoon, or in a mixer as directed. Doughnuts rolled from scraps will be a little drier and less crisp than those cut from the first roll. You will need at least a 6-quart Dutch oven for this recipe. These doughnuts are best eaten very warm, as soon out of the pot as possible.

1.
Line baking sheet or wire rack with paper towels. Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, mix 1 cup flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg on low speed to combine.

2.
Mix buttermilk, butter, eggs, and egg yolk in liquid measuring cup. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and beat on medium speed until smooth, about 30 seconds. Decrease speed to low, gradually add remaining 2¹⁄
₂
cups flour, and mix until just combined, about 30 seconds. Stir batter once or twice with wooden spoon or rubber spatula to ensure all liquid is incorporated. (Dough will be moist and tacky, a cross between cake batter and cookie dough.)

3.
Heat shortening in Dutch oven over medium-high heat to 375 degrees. Meanwhile, turn dough out onto lightly floured counter. Roll out dough with heavily floured rolling pin to ¹⁄
₂
-inch thickness. Cut out dough rings with heavily floured doughnut cutter, reflouring between cuts. Transfer dough rounds to baking sheet or large wire rack. Gather scraps and gently press into disk; repeat rolling and stamping process until all dough is used. (Cut doughnuts can be covered and stored at room temperature for up to 2 hours.)

4.
Carefully drop dough rings, 4 or 5 at a time, into hot fat. Turn doughnuts as they rise to surface with tongs, wire skimmer, or slotted spoon, frying doughnuts until golden brown, about 50 seconds per side. Drain on prepared baking sheet or wire rack. Repeat frying, returning fat to temperature between each batch. Serve.

Regular confectioners’ sugar breaks down into a gummy glaze on the doughnuts, but Snow White Non-Melting Sugar makes a long-lasting coating.

Let fried doughnuts cool about 1 minute, then toss in 1 cup nonmelting sugar to coat.

Mix 1 cup sugar with 1¹⁄
₂
tablespoons cinnamon in small bowl. Let fried doughnuts cool about 1 minute, then toss in cinnamon sugar to coat.