Equipment
Ingredients
Fat & Aromatics
- 100 g unsalted butter, melted and browned
Dry Base
- 135 g whole wheat flour
- 80 g all-purpose flour
- 28 g wheat germ
- 50 g raw cane sugar
- 8 g baking powder
- 2½ g ground cinnamon
- 2½ g ground cardamom
- 3 g fine sea salt
Wet Emulsion
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 85 ml whole milk
- 75 ml heavy cream
Filling
- 200 g raspberry preserves
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 223 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbohydrates
- 26 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 10 g
- Sodium
- 111 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 6 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 43 mg
- Potassium
- 163 mg
- Calcium
- 54 mg
- Iron
- 1.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 25 mg
- Phosphorus
- 134 mg
- Zinc
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin A
- 93 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.3 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.16 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.11 mg
- Niacin
- 1.1 mg
- Folate
- 27 mcg
- Water
- 17 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). In a small saucepan, cook the butter over medium heat until the milk solids turn a deep amber and smell nutty. Immediately remove from heat.
Using a pastry brush, coat each well of the muffin tin with 30g of the browned butter. Apply in two thin layers, allowing the first to set slightly to ensure a non-stick, caramelized crust.
In a large mixing bowl, vigorously whisk the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, wheat germ, cane sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt to aerate and remove clumps.
Drizzle the remaining 70g of browned butter over the dry ingredients. Use a fork to toss the mixture until it resembles coarse, sandy pebbles. Do not overmix into a paste.
In a medium bowl, emulsify the egg, milk, and heavy cream. Pour the liquid into the flour mixture and fold gently until a tacky, cohesive dough forms.
Set aside 25% of the dough. Divide the remaining dough into 12 portions (approx 45g each) and press into the muffin cups, pushing the dough up the sides to create a distinct well.
Place 15-18g of preserves into each well. Pinch off small fragments of the reserved dough and scatter them over the fruit. Finish with a light dusting of raw sugar for crunch.
Bake for 22-25 minutes at 175°C (350°F) until the edges are deeply bronzed and the fruit center is bubbling. Internal temperature should reach 93°C (200°F).
Cool in the tin for 5 minutes to let the structure set. Run a small offset spatula around the edges and transfer to a wire rack to prevent the bottoms from steaming.
Chef's Notes
- The secret to the 'scuffin' texture is the cold-fat integration. If your browned butter is too hot when added to the flour, it will absorb rather than create flakes. Let it cool to room temperature (but still liquid) for the best result.
- Use a high-quality sea salt like Maldon for the topping to contrast the sweetness of the preserves.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store in an airtight container; briefly toast to restore crispness.
Freezer: 1 month — Wrap individually in parchment and foil.
Reheating: Warm in a 150°C (300°F) oven for 8 minutes to revive the crumb texture.
Troubleshooting
Scuffins are stuck to the tin
Cause: Butter coating was too thin or jam boiled over and caramelized against the tin.
Fix: Warm the bottom of the tin over a low stove burner for 15 seconds to melt the sugar bond.
Prevention: Ensure a thorough double-coat of butter and do not overfill the jam wells.
Doughy or wet center
Cause: Underbaked or high-moisture jam used.
Fix: Return to oven for 5 minutes covered loosely with foil.
Prevention: Use high-pectin preserves and check internal temp with a probe (93°C).
Cultural Context
The scuffin is a modern American pastry evolution, reflecting the 'bakery-cafe' culture of the early 21st century which sought to bridge the gap between traditional British scones and the more cake-like American muffin.
