Muffins in a Skillet - the English Way

   English muffins are one of those things that have always seemed daunting when I think about making them from scratch. A friend once gave me a recipe saying it was the best one ever, however, my results were far from that.

I haven't tried them since, thinking Thomas' does just fine in that department, but a random whim possessed me today and I looked up recipes to try it once again.

This recipe I nabbed off of www.allrecipes.com and added some whole wheat flour. It was almost as easy as making biscuits and the added bonus is that the ingredients are basic and fairly wholesome - no added preservatives, unlike the store bought variety.

So here we go...

1 c. milk

2 T. sugar (I made a mental note to try honey next time.)

1 T. yeast

1 c. warm water

1/4 c. butter, melted

4 c. white flour

2 c. whole wheat flour

2 t. salt

Warm milk. Add sugar.

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add to milk mixture.

 Add melted butter and  3 c. flour and mix. 

You can already see the yeast bubbles working here. So cool!

Add salt and remaining flour and knead until you have a smooth dough...

...like so - 

Place in a oiled bowl and cover with a damp towel. Let rise one hour.

Dust a cookie sheet with corm meal.  Prepare a plate with about a cup of cornmeal on it as well.

Roll dough out on a bread board to half an inch thick. Cut into circles with a cup, or circle cookie cutter.  Press each muffin into the cornmeal on the plate, covering both sides, before placing on the cookie sheet to rise again for 30 minutes, covered.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle on medium low. Cook muffins, turning halfway through. The recipe said for ten minutes on each side, but I couldn't get my griddle cool enough for that. That would be preferable though.

Recipe makes about 18 regular sized muffins.

And now I just have to introduce you to a new favorite of mine - Polaner's All Fruit Orange Marmalade. Orange Marmalade has always been a "so-so" on my list because it's packed with sugar (if not corn syrup) and just doesn't taste right. But Polaner's has got it down. Their jams are sweetened with fruit juice only and this one in particular tastes like an orange - just like it should!

Breakfast the next morning was, you guessed it, English muffins with homemade breakfast sausage, inspired by Everyday Food, and fried eggs. Yum!

 Fresh Maple Breakfast Sausage

1 lb. ground beef

1 1/2 t. dried sage, crumbled

2 T.  maple syrup

fresh ground nutmeg

1 t. pepper

1 1/2 t. salt

Mix all ingredients together and divide into 8 thin patties.  

Fry in a covered, greased skillet until browned on both sides.