To think it's impossible to get a decent bagel or American muffin in this country?

[rollonretirementfgs]

Supermarket bagels are crap, the ones in the polythene bags. M&S did nice fresh ones but stopped selling them. American muffins... massive light fluffy muffins, as big as your head. Had one in France recently from Columbus coffee.... rubbish over here! Please enlighten me on any hidden gems.

Many thanks,

Desperate for carbs

I definitely miss big fluffy blueberry muffins. I get annoyed when I find one here and it's filled with goo. Ick! Who thought that was a good idea???

Good point. Bakewell puddings are amazing!

@rollonretirementfgs My best friend bakes the most absolutely lovely ones from scratch. I could send you his recipe? I’d mail you some, but they’re stiff as a board in just a few days. He’s not huge into baking so I don’t believe it’s something really complex to do (he doesn’t even own a mixer), and if you can make bagels, then you can make pretzels. Plus I introduced him to everything bagel seasoning, and my god, he’s just gone to town with it. Ha.

@rollonretirementfgs
Stop worrying about American muffins, start eating toasted teacakes, morning rolls, crumpets dripping with butter, pikelets, toast with marmite or Gentleman's Relish etc etc.

Thankfully, it’s easy to get good English muffins, or as I like to call them, muffins, which are better than both.

Costco do huge muffins, I haven't had one in ages though so not sure on taste but might be worth a try

Look for a Jewish deli? Or make them yourself.

I've never liked bagels or understood their point but maybe that's because I've only had them in the uk. I wonder what they taste like in the uk.

The best muffins used to be available in my office canteen pre covid. They were standard sized but so, so tasty. This is of course totally useless information without me telling you what company I work for and also because we don't get them anymore. If they were still available I'd absolutely want them to be the size of my head!!!

You need to go to a bakery that sells proper beigels. Note the spelling. The things called bagels are an abomination and nothing like authentic.

This is because we are in the UK and not the USA
To be frank, the way people think everything from there has to be here, including obesity.
What's wrong with a cake?
Bagels - well, unless they are from a Jewish baker, you'll never get a decent one

Nothing dire about Thomas’s raisin muffins. Love them.

Go to Carmeli’s bakery in Golders Green. Amazing bagels.

🙄🙄🙄🙄

I'm still not sure what kind of muffin you mean. Here, a muffin is either a flattish round bread with a dusting of cornmeal, or an overfilled cupcake.
Is your muffin the kind that is topped with melted butter or the kind that is dotted with fruit/chocolate chips?
Either could be "as big as your head", though it would be weirder for the buttery one as you'd get melted butter dripping from your chin.

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Best by far are these, made in Porthleven in Cornwall. We buy bags of them and freeze them. The filled ones are pretty amazing too.
My Jewish DiL really rated them too!

She’s said American muffin, so I’m assuming she means the blueberry/chocolate chip type. They’re not overfilled cupcakes, they’ve got a very different texture.

I can absolutely see the appeal of a blueberry muffin as big as my own head…

@Jenepeuxpasdiscuteravecdesstupides oh yeah I forgot we don't sell any international foods in this country do we. How dare I suggest it

Umm why??

Yes!! That's so true, why do they keep putting gooey stuff in muffins?? Big and fluffy is exactly what I am referring to. AMT espresso used to sell them back in the day

Supermarket long-life baked goods are all shite. Go to a proper baker.

Lovely big bran muffins with plump raisins, still warm, broken in half with a blob of salted butter, light as anything despite the bran…

Nothing like the over-sweet monstrosities people in the U.K. think of as American muffins.

When Starbucks and Seattle Coffee Co were first over here they used to do a proper breakfast muffin but they both discontinued them because U.K. customers only wanted super sweet ones.

In the 90s there used to be The Great Canadian Muffin Company just off Covent Garden. I miss it.

Bagel recipe. And the best topping is sesame seeds that are sold already toasted.

You know fine well that was not the point

@rollonretirementfgs it was terrific! I had "lox spread" on mine most mornings which seemed to be cream cheese with small pieces of smoked salmon stirred through.

It was a bit overhelming though, I'm British too much choice confuses me!

Supermarket bagels are NOTHING like the New York ones. Costco ones are ok