Model Bakery English Muffins

Gracing the front cover of the Model Bakery cookbook are the Napa bakery’s famous English muffins. I’ve made muffins before but they look authentically like store-bought ones versus these golden puffy pillows that sell out every morning at the downtown St Helena shop.

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When I tasted my first Model Bakery muffin it was unlike anything I’ve ever had – this is how it’s supposed to taste? – I thought. The muffin had been in the freezer for about a week and I placed in a toaster oven to re-crisp. It was so flaky, crisp and buttery. Thank goodness for the book, because I had to have them, at any time I wanted. Lucky for me, shortly after my experiment I got to meet the owners of the bakery so I could see firsthand how the muffins were made and get some tips in the process. So here we go, my muffin adventure!

Bouchon Bakery: Caramel Apples

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Caramel apples always brings me back to my childhood and celebrating Halloween – bobbing for apples, dipping them in caramel, then the puzzle of how to expand my jaw to bite into them. I never actually liked eating them though because there was too much apple in proportion to caramel. I decided for this recipe I’d make miniature caramel apples! I loved how they turned out.