by fiveandspice
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A&M's Testing Notes:
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5 tablespoons
unsalted butter
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1 3/4 cup
all purpose flour
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1 1/2 teaspoon
baking powder
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1/4 teaspoon
baking soda
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1/4 teaspoon
sea salt
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1/2 cup
plus 2 Tbs. sugar
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1/2 cup
buttermilk AT ROOM TEMP
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1/2 cup
creme fraiche AT ROOM TEMP
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1
large egg, lightly beaten, AT ROOM TEMP
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1
egg yolk, lightly beaten, AT ROOM TEMP
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1/2 teaspoon
vanilla extract
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1 cup
fresh raspberries (you could also use frozen - don't defrost if you do)
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In a small saucepan, melt the butter, and cook over medium heat, stirring nearly constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan as you go, until the butter turns brown and smells nutty. Mine took about 7 minutes. Set aside to cool to room temperature or slightly warmer.
Ask the hotline about this step!Preheat your oven to 350F and grease (or line with muffin cups) a muffin tin.
Ask the hotline about this step!In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Ask the hotline about this step!In another bowl, whisk together the the sugar, buttermilk, and creme fraiche until totally combined. Whisk in the egg and egg yolk until smooth. Finally, whisk in the browned butter and vanilla.
Ask the hotline about this step!Add the dry ingredients to the wet and start to gently fold it together. When it is still quite lumpy and not fully combined, stir in the raspberries. Continue to stir gently just until you see no more dry patches. Don't overmix!
Ask the hotline about this step!Spoon the batter into the muffin tin, filling each well about 3/4s of the way full.
Ask the hotline about this step!Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a tester inserted in the center of one comes out clean. Let cool for just a minute or two, and then turn them out of the pan quickly (otherwise the bottoms steam) and cool on a cooling rack. Or eat them warm, with plenty of butter, because that is really what one ought to do with fresh muffins.
Ask the hotline about this step!I made a double batch of these yesterday and they're sitting next to my desk at work today quickly disappearing. I wish I'd have had more raspberries though. The pint I bought at the farmers market came to two cups but I think it could have used three.
Haha! I definitely consider them disappearing muffins! :) And, if you like another cup of fruit in your muffins, you should most definitely add it!!
My hat is off to you -- these are, hands down, the best muffins I've ever baked/eaten (even better than mine, which are an Editor's Pick!). Since I am constitutionally incapable of leaving a recipe alone, I substituted blackberries (I was out of raspberries; I just cut them in half), made my own faux-buttermilk with vinegar, and used sour cream in place of the creme fraiche, since I didn't have any. I also used Bakewell Cream for the baking powder, and finally got my hands on some prized White Lily flour, which is heavenly. I also sprinkled some sanding sugar on top before baking for a little extra crunch. The crumb is perfect, and they are amazingly tender -- no "muffin toughness" at all. And the browned butter is genius! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe -- it will be a regular part of my repertoire.
Thanks Scarla! That's great! I love all your little changes, and I bet they were awesome with balckberries.
these are incredible! i made them with blueberries and voila, the best blueberry muffin i've ever made. thank you!
That's so wonderful! I'm glad to hear you liked them! It really is a great versatile base. Thanks so much for letting me know how it went with blueberries!
Made these yesterday with my son and they are probably the best muffin to ever come out of my oven. Really, these are my ideal - crisp top, fluffy interior, and the perfect amount of sweetness (just as you described!). Thank you fiveandspice for such a fabulous recipe!! Both of my children have requested them to share at school on their respective birthdays. Congrats - these are a winner in my house!
Oh, thank you so much gingerroot! Hearing that just really made my day a lot better! (It's been a nutty one.)
Congrats on runner up, your muffin recipe makes the best muffins ever. I have made them once and after my diet is over I'll make them again as a treat!
Thank you so much sdebrango! And, good luck with your diet! I think muffins are a good thing to look forward too. :)
Congrats for the runner-up title. These muffins have provided me a winning method for muffins done right!
Thanks sexyLAMBCHOPx. I'm so pleased to have helped you find a muffin you can really enjoy!
Congrats on being the runner-up. Your recipe is perfect. I have made these 3 times and just love them.
Thank you Sagegreen. That means a lot to me.
Can't wait for Thursday's farmer's market so I can score some fresh berries and try these fab muffins! Congrats on being a finalist...fingers crossed! - S
Thanks so much Steve! I really need to make a farmer's market run for some more berries too - it's too hot, but I'm feeling the need to bake anyway. If you give them a try, let me know what you think!
Thanks A! I'm so happy!
Congrats on being a finalist, fiveandspice! Your recipe is making me swoon. Love the thought of combining creme fraiche, browned butter, buttermilk and raspberries. Just as soon as I can harvest enough raspberries from my garden, I intend to make these. Can't wait!
Thank you CIV! I do hope you give them a try. (And, I'm jealous of your raspberry bush! ;-) )
Made up a quick second batch for breakfast and wound up with the serendipity of a double yolk. What a great omen! Everybody loved these warm after a play for dessert late last night under the stars with vanilla ice cream and fresh raspberries.
Mmmmmmmmmm.
Thanks Scarla!
fiveandspice, I made these for family breakfast with cut-up peaches instead of raspberries. As the jaded teenager said "these are really good, Mommy." Everyone else loved them too. Adding them to my Sunday brunch rotation.
Yay! Glad you guys enjoyed them!
Fiveandspice, these are amazing muffins. I made them this afternoon. Delicious. Thanks for the great recipe.
Thanks Waverly! I'm so happy you liked them! And thank you for letting me know!
Made these this morning and they were WONDERFUL. So light and fluffy they just float to my mouth, but with that nice crispy crust. And the flavors of the browned butter, creme fraiche and buttermilk are divine. Really great recipe!!!
Thank you ChezSuzanne! That's wonderful to hear!
I made these for the restaurant today with black raspberries that we just got in from a farm upstate. They were scrumptious! But the restaurant is closed for brunch due to a water main break nearby (boo). I am guessing they will continue to stay moist through the weekend as the flour and raspberries devour the brown butter. I put them in polka dotted muffin cups and sprinkled them with demerara. They were beauties and people will love them tomorrow, I can tell.
Wow, for a restaurant?! I'm so flattered. I bet they're so cute with black raspberries and the polka dot cups!
That batter is something special. I made these this AM because I happened to have buttermilk and creme fraiche in the fridge. Our daughter took one little nibble and exclaimed 'Mmmmm!'. I used peaches as that's what I had on hand. Thanks for this recipe, we will certainly enjoy these many more times.
That's fantastic! I had an inkling peaches would be good in these too. Thanks so much for letting me know!
Congratulations! These muffins look divine and you've included such lovely ingredients. I'm a big fan of Flour Bakery, too!
Thank you BlueKaleRoad! I'm happy you think so. And Flour, oh dear, it's so dangerous to work nearby!
Lucky you to be nearby! My boys are in Boston right now visiting my parents and I'm sending them to Flour. I just picked up a flat of raspberries at our berry stand and will be making your muffins.
Oh, definitely send them to Flour! They have delicious sandwiches too. And, I hope you enjoy the muffins!
Thanks so much Bevi! They're my favorite berry too!
Congrats F&S!!! You completely nailed the secret to a beautiful muffin! LOVE the use of buttermilk!
Thank you lori! I love buttermilk too. My grandmother used to tell me I must have been a dairy maid in a former life because I love to use different forms of dairy products so much!
You won't believe what I did....they r in the oven right now and I realized I used marscapone instead of creme fraiche...too tired...
Did they still turn out alright?! Baking while tired always has the potential for disaster :), but I would think that this one could turn out alright. Keeping my fingers crossed!
They turned out just fine....will try another batch next week.
Phew.
These are amazing! I just made them and they are truly outstanding! I did add a bit of lemon zest which gave a nice zing to the raspberries! I will use liners next time but these are perfection! What other fruit could be used in this base? Blueberries? Thanks for a great recipe!
Hi ECanitano! I'm so, so happy to hear you liked the muffins so much! I think the base would work nicely with a number of different fruits, especially berries. I think blueberries would be good, and I think blackberries would be really wonderful. I also think diced peaches or apricots would work well. Each would give the muffins slightly different character.
These sounds fantastic. Creme fraiche? Browned butter? Wonderful. A perfect project for the weekend. Thank you...and congratulations.
Thanks Waverly! And, if you do make them over the weekend, please let me know what you think.
Congratulations - these sound wonderful! And they look pretty too. Well done
Thank you KB! Nothing like some sweet red dots to make your muffins look pretty!
The write-up by A&M and the others about these muffins are enough for me to give them a try. I'm not a muffin person because I rarely come across any worth eating. Well-done!
Thanks sexylambchopx! I hope you do give them a try. I'm not a muffin person either because most are so disappointing! But, this technique and these muffins in particular have been enough to change that. :)
Congrats, fiveandspice. These sound heavenly! I think I will try them for my weekend company.
Thank you so much Sagegreen! I hope you and your company will like them! Let me know what you think.
Love! These muffins have made a little hobbit out of me: I had to have second breakfast! I love the creamy smooth silkiness of both the texture and flavor. I think I might even serve these with fresh raspberries and creme fraiche for dessert with company tomorrow. I got 15 good size muffins, btw. Thanks, f&s.
Yay!! So happy you like them! Love the idea of topping them with creme fraiche and raspberries for dessert. I think I need to try that too. Also, I think I need to take muffin cup filling lessons from you! 15, wow!
I also had made the mistake of using 1/2 tsp. of baking soda, but it worked fine!
Sagegreen, your Hobbit reference made me laugh. Love second breakfasts, these are made for them!
My head is in flake summer mode: This recipe made 12 good size muffins. I miscounted how many my muffin tin makes! I better not eat any more so I have enough for that company dessert!
Giggle. :)
A perfect way to start your birthday weekend...fun and laughter :)...Cheers to the rest of the weekend, make it the best!
Congrats! I think of myself as something of a muffin aficionado, and these are kind of amazing. I never would have thought to brown the butter!
Goodness, thank you for such kind words MrsBeeton!
Thanks so much lapadia!!!
Congratulations...a Silver Runners-up trophy and a great recipe! I hope to try it soon, especially after reading all the comments from those who have already, and I am not even a muffin person :)
Thanks lapadia! I hope you do give them a try. I'm not a muffin person either, but I love these! If you do, let me know what you think.
Congrats, fiveandspice, on being a finalist. Love your touch of adding brown butter.
Thank you EmilyC! I do feel brown butter makes almost anything just a little better.
Congratulations, fiveandspice, these sound divine. Will try them, maybe Sunday. Happy Birthday!
Thanks creamtea! Your salad is going to be included in our potluck on Sunday, actually!
haha, fiveandspice, we can split the quart of buttermilk between us!
Perfecto!
Yay fiveandspice!! I had a feeling about these! Can't wait to try them. And happy birthday!!
Thank you so much Midge! It's getting off on a good foot!
Wow! Congrats to the birthday girl! These sound fab. I'm a sconer too. ;) But definitely giving your muffins a try! And I have all the ingredients! Yip!
Thanks MrsL! Just like room temp ingredients revolutionized my muffin baking, your tip about freezing the scones has rocked my scone world! Being a sconer (can we copyright that term?), following your recipe sent me straight to scone heaven!
Thanks so much Panfusine! I'm so flattered.
Yipee! Congratulations, fiveandspice!! Thrilled these are a finalist and looking forward to making them.
Thank you gingerroot! I hope you - and your kids :) - like them!
Ah! Oh holy cow! Oh thank you so much! I'm so excited!!!! This is SUCH a wonderful surprise! (and a perfect, perfect birthday present for my bday this weekend! :) ).
Congratulations & very happy birthday!
Happy Birthday, Emily!!
Aw, thanks guys!
Congratulations fiveandspice your muffins are out of this world delicious!
Thank you sdebrango! I'm making your tender yellow cake for my birthday cake on Sunday, and I simply can't wait!
Oh thats wonderful, I do hope you enjoy. Please let me know if you like it.
I definitely will!
Congrats fiveandspice!! I can't wait to try these - there are so many great ideas here between the browned butter and using room temp liquid ingredients!
Thank you so very much ChezSuzanne! It means a lot that you think so!
Congrats, fiveandspice! I don' know how I missed these before, they sound absolutely wonderful.
Thank you so much HLA! I'm seriously surprised not to see your gorgeous slab pie up there. I'm making it just as soon as we have plums and/or apricots here!
Hmm, for some reason my computer isn't letting me reply to comments. So, thank you to both of you gingerroot and Chezsuzanne! I'm so happy there are so many of us who a)prefer scones, and b)will enjoy a muffin as long is it's adequately crumbly, fruity and crisp on the top. We should probably start our own bakery for people with exceptionally good taste! ;-)
These sound wonderful! They are a pretty convincing argument to side track a fellow sconer (heh) down the muffin path...
Wow - great information on having everything at room temperature. I'm part of the "crumbly + fruity + crisp top" crowd too. I can't wait to make these!!
I'm more of a scone gal myself, but it's hard to resist a recipe with buttermilk, creme fraiche, and raspberries. Sounds great!
Thanks Midge! And, really you should be more of a scone girl, given how delicious the scones you make are! But, I've discovered even a scone girl can learn to love the occasional muffin.
Wow, this sounds fantastic. I, too, only like muffins that are tender and fruity but have a crisp crust. Thanks for sharing this technique!
Thanks drbabs! I hope you give them a try. I was really astounded by what a difference using all room temp ingredients - and being really, really careful not to overmix made. It's kind of dangerous because now I have to stop myself from making muffins all the time!
Just saved this, I am very picky about muffins also. These sound absolutely wonderful. I have so many left over raspberries this is the perfect vehicle to put them to good use.
Oh, I am so jealous of your left over raspberries! We're just starting to approach the season here. I hope you enjoy the muffins if you get a chance to make them!
Steven is the author of the best-selling Barbecue Bible and the host of two grilling TV shows: The Primal Grill and Barbecue University.
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The ingredients for the muffins: raspberries, buttermilk, egg, sea salt, sugar, creme fraiche, baking soda, vanilla butter and flour (plus baking powder, which didn't make it into the shot).
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Concentrating very hard on cutting up the butter.
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A river of melting butter.
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After a few minutes, specks will start to form, and you have brown butter!
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Sifting the dry ingredients is one of the techniques that keeps these muffins light and downy.
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Don't you just want to dive into this pile of creme fraiche?
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Folding the brown butter into the batter.
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And then the dry ingredients.
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Time to add lots of plump raspberries.
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Amanda gets ready to fill the muffin cups (we lined them with paper for easy removal).
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They're beautiful even before they're baked.
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These smelled amazing when they came out of the oven.
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A little butter never hurts...
Wow! Like their title, these muffins are simply awesome. The raspberry flavor just pops with every bite. The only substitution I made was to use 1 cup kefir instead of the buttermilk/creme fraiche combo. I stock kefir in my house & it's consistency is right between the two & delivers a similar tang. Delicious!