Musing with Max: Stud Muffins

Being snowbound

makes me crafty, creative, cooky, all of the above = restless. What to do, what to do? Watch the icicles?

just in case they kill somebody (namely me) as in "the lovely bones"? Hmm need to watch where I step. I know I'll go online! And then I am inspired by this post from David Lebovitz http://www.2stews.com/ about English Muffins. And I'm thinking "Get out of town, I can make my own English Muffins, no way." So now I'm on a mission with time to spare and I decide to look in my Joy of Cooking from way back in the day for a recipe, not that there's anything wrong with this one but I just decided to do that and lo and behold there it was "English or Raised Muffins"---who knew? And it actually says "not at all like "store-bought" ones." Well that works for me so off I go, with some variations.

English Muffins adapted from The Joy of Cooking (way back in the day version) and http://www.2stews.com/.

Combine in a mixing bowl
1 cup of water
1/2 cup scalded milk
2 tspn sugar
1 tspn salt
Dissolve for 3 to 5 minutes
1 package of active dry yeast in 2 tbspn of warm (105f-115f) water
Combine with water and milk mixture
Gradually beat in 2 1/3 cups of bread flour
(I have a KitchenAid mixer that Frank gave me for my birthday years ago so I use that with dough hook)
Cover with a cloth and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours or until it collapses back into the bowl. (It never rose, it was too liquidy, but that's OK)
Beat in 3 tbspns softened butter
Beat in 2 cups of all-purpose flour until a stiff dough forms.
Lightly flour a board and sprinkle with cornmeal. Place the dough on it and pat or press to a thickness of 1/2 inch (it feels like pizza dough, stretchy). Cut dough into rounds (I used a 3 inch ramekin) and let stand in a lightly greased cookie sheet

until doubled in bulk. ( I left them alone for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours and barely any rising, I worried, no need).
Butter and heat a griddle pan. When fairly hot, slide muffins onto griddle using a pancake turner and cook until light brown, turning once on other side

they actually rise as they are cooking. Cool slightly on a rack, to separate the muffins stab all around gently with the tines of a fork. Serve with loads of butter and jam or marmalade, or fry an egg or cheese or whatever you like. If you don't eat them all right away fatty, then wrap them up individually in aluminum foil and throw into a freezer bag and freeze. Take them out and toast in the oven as needed or wanted or needed. Here is what they look like and I have to say I am quite proud of myself and whoever that guy is, Thomas, who seems to think he has a monopoly on this; he better watch his back.