New England Bran Muffin

The origin of the word “muffin” has long been a subject of debate and may come from the Low German word muffen meaning small cake, or from the French mou-pain for soft bread. Either way, this cupcake-sized, bready delight has become an American tradition that has been teasing taste buds all over the world since the eighteenth century.

Served as an individual portion in a perfect, bite-sized round, the fresh muffins rise to a pleasing peak while the older, “quick bread”