Adam Ragusea - Panera copycat pumpkin muffins
The video provides a step-by-step guide to making pumpkin muffins similar to those once offered by Panera. The host explains that Panera's muffins were discontinued after the company was acquired by private equity, prompting the need for a homemade version. The recipe is based on a copycat version by Lisa Huff, with modifications to better match the original. Key ingredients include pumpkin, soybean oil, and a palm oil and butter blend, which the host substitutes with butter-flavored shortening for a similar texture and taste. The streusel topping is made with flour, sugar, molasses, and pumpkin spice, using melted butter-flavored shortening for a crumbly texture. The batter includes canned pumpkin, neutral oil, milk, vanilla, and sugar, mixed with dry ingredients like flour, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and baking powder. The muffins are baked at 375°F (190°C) for 25-30 minutes and topped with powdered sugar. The host shares tips for ensuring the muffins release easily from the pan, such as twisting them slightly after cooling.
Key Points:
- Use butter-flavored shortening to replicate Panera's muffin texture.
- Incorporate pumpkin, soybean oil, and a palm oil-butter blend for authenticity.
- Mix wet ingredients thoroughly before adding dry ones to avoid overdeveloping gluten.
- Bake muffins at 375°F (190°C) for 25-30 minutes for optimal moisture.
- Twist muffins slightly after cooling to release them from the pan easily.
Details:
1. 🍰 Homemade Pumpkin Muffins: A Family Favorite
- Pumpkin muffins were among the first favorite solid foods for the speaker's children, emphasizing their personal importance.
- Originally sourced from Panera, a US-based carbohydrate-focused chain restaurant, which highlights the muffins' quality and initial accessibility.
- Panera's menu reduction post-private equity acquisition led to the discontinuation of pumpkin muffins, creating a personal and market gap that could be filled with homemade recipes.
2. 📜 Crafting the Perfect Copycat Recipe
- Start by researching existing copycat recipes online, such as those by Lisa Huff, to establish a base for replication of dishes like pumpkin muffins.
- Food manufacturers are required to publish ingredients in descending order by weight, offering a framework for estimating the proportions needed in a copycat recipe.
- Even if a product like Panera's pumpkin muffins is discontinued, the ingredient list can serve as a guide. Adjust recipes through taste tests and ingredient substitutions to match the original flavor and texture.
- Consider availability of ingredients and make necessary adjustments, such as using alternative spices or sweeteners, to replicate the taste closely.
3. 🌐 Internet Archive: A Recipe Rescuer
- The Internet Archive plays a critical role in preserving online content, ensuring access to information even when original sources are down.
- The platform is highly regarded as one of the few reliable and positive resources remaining on the internet.
4. 🧈 Exploring Key Ingredients for Authenticity
- Pumpkin is identified as the primary ingredient, highlighting its significance in achieving authentic flavor in the recipe.
- Soybean oil is used to enhance texture, providing a box cake-like consistency, which is a key characteristic of the desired product.
- A blend of palm oil and butter serves as a secret ingredient, primarily for cost-saving and maintaining flavor integrity compared to using straight butter.
- Butter-flavored shortening is suggested as an alternative to the palm oil and butter blend, offering a similar taste and texture profile.
5. 🥣 Crafting the Perfect Streusel
- Enhance streusel flavor by using real butter instead of shortening, which adds richness.
- Divide the fat into two portions: one for the muffin batter and another for the streusel topping to balance flavor and texture.
- For the streusel mixture, use a third of a cup of flour and a quarter of a cup of sugar, with an option to use white sugar and molasses for better molasses content control.
- Incorporate up to half a teaspoon of pumpkin spice (cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg) to enhance flavor complexity.
- Use two tablespoons of melted butter or butter-flavored shortening to achieve a crumbly texture, experimenting with liquid fat for a restaurant-like texture.
- Aim for a 'wet sand' texture, a common characteristic in high-quality pastry making, indicating the right balance of ingredients.
6. 🍳 Mastering the Muffin Batter
- Factor offers fresh, chef-crafted, dietitian-approved meals that require no cooking and can be heated up in two minutes, providing a convenient solution for busy individuals.
- Owned by the same company as HelloFresh, Factor distinguishes itself by delivering meals that are ready to eat, eliminating the hassle of meal preparation.
- The service is designed to help users maintain a consistent intake of vegetables and proteins, with options like juicy salmon and apple beet ginger juice, supporting a balanced diet.
- Factor's meal service is especially beneficial for those struggling to maintain a regular eating schedule, offering a practical and reliable alternative to cooking.
- In addition to meals, Factor includes options like juices to enhance nutritional value and cater to those needing quick, healthy meal solutions.
7. 📦 Seamless Meal Solutions with Factor
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8. 🥄 Harmonizing Wet and Dry Ingredients
- Use two eggs and one cup of canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) to avoid unwanted sugars and eggs.
- Add a third of a cup of any neutral oil; highly refined seed oils are cheap but linked to junk food, not due to the oil itself but the food it's used in.
- Butter flavored shortening brings more flavor and softness than real butter, which would result in a firmer texture.
- Incorporate a quarter cup of milk for a softer muffin texture; milk is preferred over water and milk flavoring.
- Include a teaspoon of vanilla and a cup and a half of plain white sugar, considered a wet ingredient because it dissolves easily.
- Mix wet ingredients thoroughly before adding dry ingredients to minimize gluten development for tenderness.
- Dry ingredients include a cup and three quarters of flour, two teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice, half a teaspoon of salt, and baking powder, added last to delay the gas reaction for puffing until baking.
9. 🧁 From Oven to Table: Baking and Finishing Touches
- Use a muffin tin larger than a cupcake tin; cupcake papers will be too small.
- Grease the muffin tin thoroughly if not using muffin papers to ensure easy removal.
- Fill muffin cups three-quarters full to leave room for streusel topping.
- Bake muffins at 375°F (190°C) for 25-30 minutes, ensuring they remain moist with a toothpick test.
- Allow muffins to cool completely before removing from the pan using a twist and release method.
- For finishing, sprinkle with powdered sugar for added flavor and presentation.