Potato Starch Muffins

Flipping through a random volume of the Women's Day Encyclopedia Of Cookery (1966) I found this recipe for potato flour muffins that are supposed to be the ones served at Marshall Field's in the Walnut Room. Honestly, I don't remember these if I ever had them. I was probably too distracted by the hot chocolate with whipped cream and a peppermint stick to notice some stupid muffin. The best food was down on the street anyway where you could get a paper cone filled with warm roasted chestnuts (the only nut I wasn't allergic to).

This would be an excellent recipe if you're avoiding gluten. I'd be curious to try it with rice flour to see if it achieved the same results. They are similar in flavour to a popover, but they lack the hollow centre. The smell and taste reminds me of those little egg-based puffs called "soup mandel" that can be found in Kosher markets.

With the heat hovering at 100 degrees for the next few days, I'm baking things that are quick in the oven and don't require creating steam. Biscuits, muffins griddle breads are all in my plans. The muffins took 20 minutes to bake and just under ten minutes to prepare-you could probably do that faster with a mixer but I prefer beating egg whites by hand.

You Will Need:

1/8 teaspoon salt
4 eggs separated
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup potato starch, sifted multiple times to get out tiny grit
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons ice water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a muffin tin that will hold 12 muffins.

Add salt to egg whites and beat until stiff and dry. Beat egg yolks until pale and thick. Beat in sugar.

Sift together the starch and baking powder.

Fold egg whites into egg yolks carefully. Slowly fold in the flour/baking powder mixture. Mix well. Add the ice water and mix well. Pour into a dozen greased muffin cups and bake 15-20 minutes. Serve warm.