September has arrived, bringing with it the typical autumn flavors, among which grapes certainly stand out!
One of my favorites is undoubtedly Concord Grapes with their small, sweet berries and slightly tart skin, so when a few days ago my sister harvested a whole lot of them from her garden, I didn’t think twice and rushed to grab a basketful!
As soon as I got home, I realized I might have overdone it; I had at least 11 lbs of them, so I started thinking about how to use them.
With Concord grapes, besides making jam, I’ve always used the berries for the famous Torta Bertolina, a dough made with fine cornmeal and all-purpose flour enriched with these sweet and juicy berries, a true delight to try.
This time, though, I wanted a very quick recipe, one that would be in the oven in 2 minutes without using special kitchen tools, so I thought why not muffins, which everyone at home loves.
In the last few years, I’ve tried several MUFFIN recipes, and finally, I can say that the one we’ll prepare today is the best muffin version ever, the one I was looking for that will allow you to bake soft and fluffy treats with a nice high and puffy dome.
Muffins are a recipe of American origin, now famous worldwide; you can play around by adding many ingredients to the basic version: chocolate chips, apples, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, nuts, practically almost anything.
The recipe for Concord Grape Muffins is very simple; you just need a little patience to remove the internal seeds, but I guarantee it’s worth it.
For the rest, a simple dough that takes just a few minutes to make: just combine all the “dry” ingredients in a bowl and mix all the liquid ones in another, then combine them in one bowl and stir with a simple whisk, and if there are a few lumps, it doesn’t matter, they’ll come out even better!
The Concord grape berries, besides adding color and flavor by releasing their moisture, make the batter even softer.
Of course, you’re not forced to use Concord grapes; you can also use other types of grapes or other fruits like strawberries, pear or apple cubes, or berries.
Prepare them and you’ll see you can’t do without them anymore, whether for breakfast, a snack, or a tasty treat!
If you’re a muffin lover, try these recipes too
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 12 muffins
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter
- Energy 233.41 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 37.57 (g) of which sugars 21.68 (g)
- Proteins 5.91 (g)
- Fat 7.55 (g) of which saturated 4.45 (g)of which unsaturated 2.98 (g)
- Fibers 0.68 (g)
- Sodium 93.21 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 50 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup milk
- 4 tbsp butter
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 eggs (large)
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/2 cup potato starch
- 9 oz Concord grapes
- 1/2 packet baking powder
Tools
- 2 Bowls
- Muffin tin
- Hand whisk
- Cupcake liners
Steps
First, detach the Concord grape berries from the stem, rinse them under running water, then with the help of a small knife, cut them in half and remove the internal seeds.
In a bowl, put all the dry ingredients: flour, potato starch, sugar, baking powder, and a pinch of salt, and mix with a fork to obtain a homogeneous mixture.
In another bowl, add the liquid ingredients: milk, eggs, and butter previously melted in the microwave or in a saucepan (it should become liquid but not fry), and mix everything with a hand whisk.
At this point, gradually add the dry ingredients into the bowl with the liquids and mix with the hand whisk until everything is homogeneous. Finally, add about half of the Concord grape berries to the batter.
Preheat the oven in static mode to a temperature of 356°F.
Pour the batter into the appropriate muffin liners until reaching about the ¾ capacity and distribute a few more Concord grape berries on the surface, keeping some aside.
Bake at 356°F for about 8 minutes. At this point, the batter should have risen but will still be moist and without a crust. Quickly open the oven, being careful not to burn yourself, and distribute a few more Concord grape berries on the muffin surface. This way, once ready, they will have various layers of fruit distributed in the batter.
Close the oven and finish baking; in total, the Concord Grape Muffins should bake for about 25 minutes, so another 17 minutes or so. However, I recommend doing the toothpick test before taking them out of the oven. Take them out of the oven and let them cool.
follow my Instagram profile by clicking HERE
NOTES
Once the Concord grape berries are washed, dry them very well with a clean cloth to avoid water getting into the batter.
The butter in this recipe can be replaced with seed oil.
It is possible to replace Concord grapes with another type of grape or with other fruits, like: apples, pears, peaches, bananas, strawberries; the important thing is that the fruit is not overly ripe, otherwise it would release too much liquid during baking.
The Concord Grape Muffins usually bake in 25 minutes, but the baking times are influenced by the type of oven and also based on the size of the cupcake liners: check them in the last minutes, do the toothpick test before taking them out of the oven and prolong the baking if necessary.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
How to make muffins if I don’t have the tin?
If you don’t have either the molds or the special tin, you can make your muffins in aluminum cupcake liners, available at the supermarket, or in paper or silicone ones,
How to best store muffins?
To best store muffins, you need to keep them in an airtight container, whether plastic or glass, the important thing is that the lid is airtight and doesn’t let air pass through.
Why don’t muffins rise?
The oven temperature might be too low or there’s not enough baking powder. Always stick to the quantities and temperatures indicated in the recipe, and anyway, before taking them out of the oven, do the toothpick test.
