Muffins are often served straight out of a muffin tin or in a paper baking cup. They can be served warm or cold and are usually accompanied by butter, Cheshire cream or jam. Muffins are usually soft and originated in France with the derivation for the word muffin coming from the French word moufflet meaning soft bread.

Muffins can also take the form of English muffins which are a flat yeast dough that is raised slightly and contain many nooks and crannies. English style muffins are usually dryer in texture and cooked on a hot griddle rather than baked in an oven. English muffins can be traced all the way back to the 10th century when hooplike muffin rings were placed on the bottom of a skillet or directly on the stove and filled with dough. The dough was then cooked in the muffin rings and sliced when cool.

American style muffins differ from English style in that they are a batter rather than dough. Most American style muffins do not contain yeast as a leavening agent. American style muffins originally leavened with the use of potash until around 1857 when baking powder came on the market. Baking powder was cheaper and easier to come by than potash.

The first muffin recipe appeared in print some time during the mid 18th century. Muffins quickly gained in popularity and could be bought through mobile muffin men who walked the streets of England selling their fresh baked muffins.

In the United States muffins are so popular that three states have adopted an official muffin. In Minnesota blueberry muffins are the official state muffin. The state muffin of Massachusetts is the corn muffin adopted in 1986. In 1987 New York adopted the apple muffin for its official muffin of choice.

So whether it is English muffins or American style muffins sit back, eat and enjoy.