Remember mmmuffins? Julie Van Rosendaal does

Canadians of a certain age may recall those iconic muffin kiosks located in malls across Canada — Marvellous Mmmuffins introduced the mega-muffin to the masses in 1979, and hit its peak in the '80s, when malls were also the place to be. 

• LISTEN: Julie van Rosendaal joins us with some nostalgic memories of muffins

As the popularity of muffins waned in the new millennium, most locations closed. But over the holidays, Country Style announced it would be bringing back a few select varieties to its Ontario stores.

Seeing old photos of the original chocolate chip muffin and that iconic yellow, orange and blue logo on my friend Caitlin Green's Instagram feed brought waves of nostalgia. And since there aren't any Country Style locations in Calgary, I set about replicating the muffins at home. Their flavours and textures are burned into my memory.

We reminisced and talked about the process during my segment this week on the Calgary Eyeopener, and after further tinkering post-show, I think I hit the mark! Here are recipes for what seem to be the most popular three — chocolate chip, butterscotch-pecan, and cheddar — so you can mmmake them at home.

Chocolate Chip Mmmuffins

Though some have memories of chocolate chip Mmmuffins with a crunchy lid, I recall them being pale and sticky on top. My theory (and I don't know this, I've never seen their actual formulation) is that a high fructose sweetener was used in the batter … fructose has humectant properties, and draws moisture from its surroundings.

It could also have been that they were a bit underbaked at the location I frequented. 

Marvellous Mmmuffins also had excessive spread on top. They were often cut apart after being baked, creating square-ish muffin tops. So I made sure to load the paper liners high, but found the tops spread even more if I sprayed the pan with nonstick spray instead of using paper liners. If you like, sprinkle with some coarse sugar, like sugar in the raw, before baking. 

• Bookmark cbc.ca/juliesrecipes to keep up with all of Julie Van Rosendaal's dishes.

Another note: the sour cream, which I used, or yogurt, is key here. They can range in texture from very thick to very liquidy, and you want something in between, even on the runny side. If you have very thick (like 14 per cent) sour cream or Greek-style yogurt, thin it out with some milk, buttermilk or even water. And make sure it's not low fat or fat free — the fat in yogurt will contribute to your muffins' tender texture.

When I tested using thick 14 per cent sour cream, I filled the measuring cup about two-thirds full and topped it up with milk, then whisked into the egg-sugar-butter mixture.

If you allow the dough to rest for even an hour or two, you'll get a muffin with a more commercial texture — more dramatic lift and a finer crumb. I don't think they taste any better, but they will have more dramatically peaked tops.

• ¼ cup butter, melted
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt (not low-fat or fat free)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ¾ cup (about) mini chocolate chips, divided

If you want to bake your muffins right away, preheat the oven to 350 F. Otherwise, wait until you're ready to bake.

In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Whisk in the sour cream or yogurt. In a smaller bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the wet mixture and stir with a spatula until almost combined; add about ½ cup of the mini chocolate chips and stir just until blended.

If you like, cover and let your batter sit on the countertop for about an hour or refrigerate for longer — even overnight. This will give them a finer texture and a little added lift. Otherwise, you can go ahead and bake them right away. Fill paper lined muffin cups (or sprayed instead of paper lined, this will produce even larger tops) so that they're heaping (above the top) and sprinkle with lots of mini chocolate chips. 

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden, domed and springy to the touch.

Makes: 8-10 mmmuffins. 

Butterscotch-Pecan Mmmuffins

Another Mmmuffin fan favourite, these have a caramelly batter thanks to the brown sugar, and the muffins are interspersed with toffee bits (I used Skor bits) and chopped pecans. They're topped with streusel before baking. 

• ¼ cup butter, melted
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla 
• 1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt (not low-fat or fat free)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup chopped pecans (divided)
• ½ bag (about ½ cup) Skor bits or other toffee bits (divided)

Streusel:

• ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp butter

If you want to bake your muffins right away, preheat the oven to 350 F. Otherwise, wait until you're ready to bake.

In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla. Whisk in the sour cream or yogurt. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the wet ingredients and stir (using a spatula this time) until almost combined.

Hold back a couple tablespoons of the pecans and Skor bits to add to the streusel topping and add the rest to the batter, stirring just until blended.

In a small bowl, blend the brown sugar, flour and butter for the streusel with a fork or your fingers. Blend in the reserved pecans and Skor bits. 

If you like, cover and let your batter sit on the countertop for about an hour, or refrigerate for longer — even overnight. This will give them a finer texture and a little added lift — you may or may not notice much difference. Otherwise, you can go ahead and bake them right away. Fill paper lined muffin cups so that they're heaping (above the top) and sprinkle with the streusel mixture. 

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden, domed and springy to the touch.

Makes: 8-10 mmmuffins.

Cheddar Mmmuffins

This was the trickiest of them all. The cheddar Mmmuffins had a slightly sweet, cakey texture and were brilliant orange. My initial tests were tasty but missing the mark. It wasn't until a CBC listener messaged me with a tip: back in the eighties, working at a different chain eatery, she used powdered cheddar when making the muffins.

I added about half a pack of the cheese mix from a box of KD and voilà — extra cheesiness, but also that intense orange colour that acts as a visual cue, making them taste even cheesier. You could, of course, use extra-old white cheddar here — and you could omit the powdered cheese. Just expect them to look a bit different. 

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ packet mac & cheese seasoning mix (about 2½ tbsp optional)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup grated aged cheddar or Gouda, plus extra for sprinkling on top
• 1½ cups buttermilk or thinned sour cream or yogurt (not low fat!)
• 1/3 cup melted butter or canola or other vegetable oil (or a combo)
• 1 large egg

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, powdered cheese mix, baking soda and salt. Add the grated cheese and toss to combine. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, melted butter or oil and egg. Add to the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula just until combined.

Divide the batter between greased or paper-lined muffin tins, filling them to overfull, and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden and springy to the touch.

Makes: 8-10 muffins.