Egg Muffins

A plain egg-rich batter muffin from the era when a quart of flour was a standard unit and gem pans were made of iron. The proportions work, but a few of the measures need translating.

• A quart of flourMeasured dry, that is 4 cups, roughly 1 lb 2 oz or 500 g of all-purpose flour. The recipe sifts it with the leavening, so scoop lightly rather than packing the cup.
• 1 1/4 pints milkTwo and a half cups. Add it gradually with the eggs; flours vary enough that you may want to hold back the last few tablespoons.
• "A little firmer than for griddle cakes"This is the hinge. The batter should mound thickly on the spoon and drop reluctantly, not pour in a ribbon. Too loose and the muffins spread flat instead of doming.
• Baking powderTwo teaspoons for four cups of flour is light by present standards, where 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons per cup is usual. The three eggs carry much of the lift, so beat them well; if your muffins come out dense, increase the powder toward a tablespoon.
• Hot ovenA period "hot oven" is generally taken as somewhere in the range of 400-450F (200-230C); the recipe itself gives no temperature. Fifteen minutes at that heat suits a standard muffin cup; large or deep cups may want 18 to 20 minutes.
• "Cold, carefully greased muffin-pans"Muffin and gem pans of the period were typically heavy iron, and some contemporary recipes do call for heating the pans first, so the direction to use them cold is worth following as written. Modern nonstick or paper-lined tins need no special treatment beyond greasing.
• Mix quicklyThe direction is deliberate. Stir only until the flour disappears; extended beating develops gluten and gives tunnels and a tough crumb.
• YieldAbout 18 standard muffins, filled two-thirds as directed. Best eaten warm the day they are baked.