411 REFERENCE · Wiktionary
American muffin
Reference material by Wiktionary contributors. This retains its source identity and is not 411 news reporting.
English
Noun
en UK A cupcake-shaped baked good.
en 1989 Ofelia García; Ricardo Otheguy English across Cultures. Cultures across English: A Reader in Cross-cultural Communication https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=wbAgAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA239&lpg=PA239&dq=%22American+muffin%22&source=bl&ots=RiZtFdX35v&sig=ACfU3U3ns6o-xRtgxOkdz5xw3DE2ksCC2w&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjAm62Fg47_AhWMYcAKHaMJDdI4jAEQ6AF6BAgDEAM#v=onepage&q=%22American%20muffin%22&f=false 239 An American muffin is usually yeastless bread baked in a cupcake shape; although defined in some British dictionaries as a sweet.
en 2008 Charis Cotter; Terry Durack 1001 Foods: The Greatest Gastronomic Sensations on Earth 825 https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=1ZRutjVBAyQC&pg=PA825&lpg=PA825&dq=%22American+muffin%22&source=bl&ots=jVgBFkVqWm&sig=ACfU3U2DC0qM9vylKQFWN14F2mb8PEtiPg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjAm62Fg47_AhWMYcAKHaMJDdI4jAEQ6AF6BAgUEAM#v=onepage&q=%22American%20muffin%22&f=false The American muffin looks something like a large cupcake, but has a rounded top instead of a flat one and is never toasted.
en 2015 Darra Goldstein The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=R1bCBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA465&lpg=PA465&dq=%22American+muffin%22&source=bl&ots=TVQhXqf7C2&sig=ACfU3U1wefgxnD3F6eyIvHjSJo_rL1rvPA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjAm62Fg47_AhWMYcAKHaMJDdI4jAEQ6AF6BAgTEAM#v=onepage&q=%22American%20muffin%22&f=false 465 American muffins are chemically leavened, enriched, semi-sweet quickbreads baked in individual portions. Although American muffins can be split, warmed, toasted, and spread with dairy products or fruit preserves, they are generally consumed "as is" at room temperature for breakfast, brunch or light snacks.
en 2017 Stella Parks Brave Tart: Iconic American Desserts https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=rWtIDQAAQBAJ&pg=PT421&lpg=PT421&dq=%22American+muffin%22&source=bl&ots=k0G_FSICMt&sig=ACfU3U2BhQJQLiDGS5CKkM36ViBAmbSMeA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjAm62Fg47_AhWMYcAKHaMJDdI4jAEQ6AF6BAglEAM#v=onepage&q=%22American%20muffin%22&f=false Nineteenth-century editions of Cassel's Dictionary of Cookery, published in London, defined the "American muffin" as a "yeast-raised griddle bread."
Usage notes
In the US these are typically simply known as muffins. Most people in the UK also use the term muffin to describe this food item, only using the term American muffin for disambiguation purposes.