Pancake Muffins

Yep, thats what I said. Pancake Muffins.  Muffins that taste like pancakes. Or pancakes in the shape of a muffin. I don't know which.  Either way these are good.  I'm not sure if they're meant to be for breakfast or dessert but who cares? Eat them whenever you want or all day long! We actually had them with our BBQ dinner one night (ya know, like some restaurants serve the sweet corn muffin?), warm and buttered.  It was a great combination. They're super yummy and the matching accessories have endless possibilities.

pancake muffins with strawberry jam and powdered sugar

I stole, I mean borrowed this recipe from another blog as I've been in the habit of doing a lot recently.  This blog is called the Noble Pig (I love that name!) and they run their own winery in addition to this food blog. They always have really great savory recipes (and a few sweet ones too), some of which feature one of their own wines. Check out another recipe I used from their site for Greek Chicken Pasta.

mixing the dry ingredients

When I saw this recipe I knew I would love it. And after making these precious muffins, I knew this would be a recipe I would keep in my repertoire to do again and again.  They're sweet without being too sweet and they're so light and fluffy you feel like you could fly away when you take a bite!

The Noble Pig serves their Pancake Muffins with their very own Spiced Strawberry Pinot Jam. Yum. Sadly I had nothing like that but plain ol' strawberry jam did the trick just fine for my lovely "healthy" breakfast!

whisk whisk whisk

this is what makes them so fluffy

beautiful fluffy meringue

Pancake Souffle Muffins with Spiced Strawberry Pinot JamFrom Noble Pig Adapted from Fine Cooking
Makes 24 muffins

Nonstick Cooking Spray
10.5 oz (2-1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
4.5 oz. (1 cup plus 2 Tbs) cake flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
6 large eggs, separated and at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3 oz (6 Tbs) unsalted butter, melted  and cooled slightly
6 Tbs granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-1/3 cups buttermilk, room temperature
Confectioners sugar, jam, maple syrup

Position rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400^o F.  Liberally spray two 12-cup muffin pans with cooking spray.  Don't miss a spot.

In a medium bowl, mix the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In a large, clean mixing bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed to firm (but not dry) peaks, 2 to 3 minutes.  Set aside.

In another large bowl, beat the egg yolks with the mixer on the medium-high speed until thick, ribbony, and lemon-yellow, about 6 minutes.  Add the melted butter, sugar and vanilla; mix on medium-low speed until combined, about 30 seconds.  Add one-third of the dry ingredients and mix on low speed.  Add one-third of the buttermilk and mix to combine.  Alternate adding the remaining dry ingredients and buttermilk, ending with the buttermilk and mixing until just combined.  With a large rubber spatula, gently fold the whites into the batter, leaving some streaks.  (The batter may be prepared up to this point up to 2 hours ahead; cover and refrigerate.)

Fill the muffin cups to the rim.  Bake, rotating the pans after 10 minutes, until browned on top and puffed, and a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out dry, about 20 minutes.

To remove muffins, gently swirl an offset spatula around each muffin and pop it out.

fill them to the top

already puffy after only half the baking time

so many...

delicious muffins...

nom nom nom!!