English Muffins- Nooks and Crannies Included

 
 English muffins are one of my favorite breakfast treats. The toppings have all of those nooks and crannies to melt into, making every crunchy bite a tasty treat. They're great toasted, with butter and jam or even peanut butter and jelly.  I especially love them with an egg and cheese on top.  (Every once in a while I might even sneak a piece of crispy bacon on them.)

 I used Alton Brown's super easy recipe for these, but replaced half of the all purpose flour with freshly ground whole wheat. They were tender, tasty and full of those nooks and crannies that make English muffins delicious- I promise! Make sure to split them with a fork instead of slicing them with a knife- that makes them even better in my book.

English Muffins
recipe from Alton Brown
Ingredients
1/2 cup non-fat powdered milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt, divided (I used 3/4 teaspoon)
1 tablespoon shortening (I used Smart Balance)
1 cup hot water
1 envelope dry yeast
1/8 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup warm water
2 cups all-purpose flour (I used half whole wheat) sifted after measuring
Non-stick vegetable spray
Equipment needed: electric griddle, 3 inch metal rings -If you don't have the rings especially made for English muffins, tuna cans with both top and bottom cut out work perfectly. (If you buy the tuna specifically for this, make sure that the brand you choose has a top and bottom that you can remove. Some cans have rounded bottoms.) Or you could use metal cookie cutters- how about hearts?)

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the powdered milk, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, shortening and hot water. Stir until shortening is melted and all other ingredients are dissolved. Cool until just warm.
• In another small bowl, combine the yeast and 1/8 teaspoon sugar with the warm water. Let this rest until the yeast has dissolved. Add this to the dry milk mixture and stir. 
• Add the sifted flour and beat thoroughly with a wooden spoon.
• Cover the bowl and let it rest in a warm spot for about 30 minutes.

To cook:

• Preheat the griddle to 300°F.
• Add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the flour mixture and beat thoroughly. (I added only 1/4 tsp.) 
• Place metal rings onto the griddle and coat lightly with the vegetable oil spray. 
• Using an ice cream or cookie scoop that holds about 1/4 cup  (I used my largest Pampered Chef cookie scoop) put a scoop of batter into each ring. 
• Cover the batter filled rings with a cookie sheet that you've sprayed with non-stick spray. Cook for 5-6 minutes. 
• Carefully remove the lid and flip the rings using tongs. (I also had to use a spatula, as some of my muffins didn't entirely fill the rings.) 
• Cover again with the cookie sheet lid and cook for another 5-6 minutes or until golden brown. 
• Place on a cooling rack, remove rings and cool. Split with fork, toast and serve.
• Yields 8 muffins

I'm sending these English muffins to Full Plate Thursday at Miz Helen's Country Cottage.