Unveiling the Crumbs: 9 Enticing Fun Facts About Muffins You Never Knew

1. Muffins: The Ancient Delight

They say laughter is the best medicine, but muffins might just give it a run for its money: These scrumptious delights trace their origins back to 18th-century Europe, where they were first known as "quick breads." Since then, they've hopped across the pond, becoming a staple of American taste buds in the 19th century. Now, with flavors ranging from blueberries to chocolate chips, muffins can be enjoyed for breakfast, as a snack, or a much-needed dessert break!
Source => yourdictionary.com

2. English Muffin's Great Migration

Why did the English muffin go to America? To find its Nooks & Crannies, of course! : Samuel Bath Thomas cracked the ultimate muffin mystery in 1880 by creating a unique, crunchy-yet-soft English Muffin, leading Thomas' to become the #1 seller of these tasty breakfast treats in the United States.
Source => thomasbreads.com

Did you know cupcakes and fairy cakes may have a rivalry, but they're not the same dessert? Discover the differences between their sponge, icing, and sizes!

=> Fun Facts about Cupcakes

3. Pumpkin Pie's Humble Beginnings

Before pumpkin spice lattes took over the world and autumn became synonymous with the almighty gourd: Amelia Simmons paved the way for every Thanksgiving table's superstar by including the first recognizable pumpkin pie recipe in her 1796 cookbook, American Cookery. Pioneering the "Pompkin Pudding" revolution, we have her to thank for our after-turkey indulgence!
Source => openculture.com

4. The Muffin Man: Victorian Delivery Hero

Before the Muffin Man was stalking Drury Lane, he and his fellow muffin vendors were actually the original food delivery guys, ringing and dinging with their bells as they went: In Victorian times, these muffin merchants would roam the streets, selling their tasty treats for just half a penny each, though some of the less scrupulous bakers would use questionable ingredients like chalk and alum, a metal-based powder typically found in detergent recipes, to cut costs.
Source => museumoflondon.org.uk

5. Crumpets vs. English Muffins: The Showdown

Notorious breakfast tag team—English muffins and crumpets—might seem like long-lost cousins in the baked goods family, but appearances can be deceiving, much like a Hollywood plot twist: Crumpets rely on a yeast-based batter poured into rings atop a griddle, showcasing their hole-filled physique, while English muffins bulk up with a doughy precursor that is rolled out and cut into round bad boys, maintaining their British heritage but seducing American taste buds with a convenient form-factor perfect for on-the-go feasting.
Source => downtonabbeycooks.wordpress.com

6. National Muffin Day: A Tasty Charity

Whoever said laughter is the best medicine never tried handing out muffins to strangers: National Muffin Day was established to raise awareness and funds for homeless shelters, inspired by a tech company employee who'd share muffins with the homeless on his commute to work, and has since gained significant popularity.
Source => wikidates.org

7. The Battle for Minnesota's Official Muffin

It was a muffin' but a good time in Minnesota when third-graders took matters into their own hands and decided their state needed an official muffin designation to rival Massachusetts' corny choice: The blueberry muffin was crowned the official state muffin of Minnesota, thanks to South Terrace Elementary School students from Carlton who were inspired by a Massachusetts class lobbying success. The kids felt that blueberries, being a wild and prevalent crop in northern Minnesota, were much too important not to hold a sweet spot as their muffin representative.
Source => statesymbolsusa.org

8. Muffins: Masters of Fashion

Not to be mistaken for a cap-wearing hipster, muffins rock a design that's wider on top than the bottom like it's straight out of ye olde muffin fashion week: the unique shape is thanks to traditional English muffin baking tins, which allow the top of the muffin to rise and form a scrumptious, rounded dome during baking.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

9. Saint Zita: Bakers' Celestial Support

When life hands you muffin mix, make muffins—or call on angelic support like Saint Zita: Though the patron saint of bakers was once said to have received divine assistance while baking bread for her employer, muffin-makers remain a mysteriously unmentioned demographic amongst her celestial benefactors.
Source => cooksinfo.com