Metropolitan Bakery’s Millet Muffins

When I last visited Philly, I had a marvelous but all-too-brief visit with my friend lxn (stupid Schuykill traffic). We met at the University City Metropolitan Bakery. They didn’t have either of my favorites of sainted memory–the grape foccaccia or the berry roll–but lxn recommended the millet muffin. I was skeptical, then I tried it. Wow. The little bits of toasted millet are like crunchy pops of surprise in a lovely not-too-sweet muffin. Hoping to find something similar, I did an online search when I got home to Minnesota. Jackpot: a recipe for the real thing! I added whole wheat flour and modified it to make one dozen, as more than a dozen muffins at a time exhausts me. These muffins make friends.

Millet Muffins

Metropolitan Bakery’s Marvelous Millet Muffins

(makes 12)

1 cups millet, lightly toasted and cooled

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

4/3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spread millet on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, shaking the pan 2 or 3 times. Remove and let cool.

2. Increase oven to 375 degrees. Butter or spray muffin tin.

3. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Stir in cooled millet.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and vanilla.

5. In the bowl of a mixer with paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

6. At low speed, add the flour mixture alternately with the egg mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Take care not to over mix.

7. Using an ice-cream scoop, put batter evenly into prepared muffin-pan cups. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, rotating halfway through. Bake until a wooden skewer comes out clean. Cool for five minutes and then remove from pan and continue to cool on a wire rack.

One Response to “Metropolitan Bakery’s Millet Muffins”

  1. lxn Says:

    aww! Maybe I should go out and have one of these today, since I can’t eat one of the muffins you baked.