Muffins (Williams-sonoma Collection) - Tapa dura

Blueberry muffins crowned with a cinnamon and sugar topping, savory cornmeal muffins spiced with jalapeño, tender lemon and poppy seed muffins served with lemon curd—these are recipes that any home cook would be proud to make and bring fresh from the oven to the table.

Williams-Sonoma Collection Muffins includes 40 kitchen-tested recipes for these and other muffins as well as coffee cakes and quick breads. Not only can the recipes be prepared in just an hour or two—they are also wonderfully versatile. Banana-walnut muffins and slices of pumpkin bread are delightful ways to bake with fresh fruits and vegetables. You can serve muffins flavored with Cheddar cheese or pesto as a savory accompaniment to soups and salads. Coffee cakes enriched with raspberries, apples, or chocolate make elegant centerpieces for breakfast, brunch, or afternoon tea.

Each recipe in these pages is shown alongside a beautiful full-color photograph that helps you decide which recipe you want to bake. Additional photographs illustrate side notes with invaluable information about essential ingredients and techniques. You will also find an entire chapter devoted to simple baking basics. This cookbook provides everything you need to create delicious muffins perfect for any meal or occasion.

Beth Hensperger is a widely acclaimed expert on baking and has written many books on the subject, includingBread for All Seasons, Bread for Breakfast, The Best Quick Breads, and Bread in the Williams-Sonoma Collection series. Her Bread Bible won a James Beard Award. She also writes a column on baking for theSan Jose Mercury News. Ms. Hensperger lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.