Carbonara Egg Muffin
The jammy egg yolks really make this pastry unforgetable.
The elusive Craftsman & Wolves Pastry meets classic Italian Pasta.
This breakfast is perfect for a leisurely Sunday morning, ideal for enjoying after a visit to the farmers market with a refreshing iced coffee in hand—just like Emily Mariko might. The original pastry, The Rebel Within, hails from the famous San Francisco bakery, Craftsman & Wolves, known for its Asiago cheese, scallions, and breakfast sausage. I've added an Italian twist by swapping in Pecorino/Parmesan, chives, and guanciale. Here are a few tips to ensure you get the best results:
Make Six Minute Eggs - Not a Minute More
Anything less than a six minute egg will be undercooked and hard to peel or overcooked and chalky. Start with high quality eggs like the organic, free-range ones from Pete & Gerry’s. Their hens roam and graze on open pastures, resulting in yolks with a vibrant orange color and a rich, deep flavor. Then, gently simmer the eggs—avoid a vigorous boil—to prevent them from cracking during cooking.
Roll the Eggs in Flour
Coating the cooked eggs in a light dusting of all-purpose flour will help them stay suspended in the muffin batter and also offer some protection from the oven's heat. I suggest baking the muffins at a high temperature to achieve a quick rise and minimize their time in the oven. While you could use a smaller muffin pan for a faster bake, in true Craftsman & Wolves fashion, I chose the larger muffin pan.
Prep Your Ingredients in Advance
I’ll be upfront—this recipe is a bit intricate, so I strongly recommend prepping all your ingredients in advance. Bring your wet ingredients to room temperature, cook the guanciale, and measure and mix your dry ingredients. Allowing your wet ingredients to come to room temperature will make it easier to incorporate them into the batter. Anything you can do to streamline this recipe will prevent a mid-recipe panic attack.
Ingredients for the Soft Boiled Eggs
6 eggs, straight from the fridge
Ingredients for the Muffins
1/2 cup (4 oz) guanciale, cut into batons
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus one tablespoon for dusting the cooked eggs
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup full-fat sour cream, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
3 tablespoons whole milk, room temperature
3/4 cup grated Pecorino cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoon chives, finely chopped
4 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
Special Equipment
Non-stick 6-count muffin pan
Piping bag
Makes 6 large muffins
Directions for the Soft Boiled Eggs
Heat a medium sauce pot filled with water to about three-quarters full until it comes to a boil. Gently lower in fridge-cold eggs.
Lower the heat slightly – so the eggs don’t crack due to being bashed around but water is still at a gentle boil. Keep between low to medium low heat.
Gently boil the eggs for six minutes.
Once cooked, transfer into a medium bowl of ice water. Allow to sit in the iced water for a few minutes. Peel underwater starting from the base.
Allow the peeled eggs to sit at room temperature while you make your batter.
Directions for the Muffins
Preheat the oven to 425℉ degrees and grease the six count muffin pan. Set aside.
Place the guanciale batons in a cold sauté pan and gradually heat to medium to render the fat and crisp the pieces. Once they are browned on all sides, transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In a small bowl, mix the Pecorino and Parmesan together and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together sour cream, eggs, melted butter, oil, and milk.
Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture, and stir with spatula until ingredients are mostly combined.
Fold in 1 ¼ cup of the cheese mixture, chives, black pepper, and cooked guanciale. Mix until evenly distributed. The batter will be thick.
Coat each egg in a thin layer of all-purpose flour. This will prevent the eggs from sinking to the bottom during cooking.
Transfer the batter to a piping bag. Pipe a thin layer of batter to the bottom of the muffin pan. Place a coated soft boiled egg in the center. Continue to pipe the batter around the egg; swirling over the top.
Using a wet finger, close up any open seams of the batter to ensure the egg is not exposed too much to the oven’s heat. Top each muffin dome with ¼ cup of the reserved cheese mixture.
Bake muffins for 20 minutes rotating halfway through the baking time. The tops of the muffins should be golden brown.
After baking, promptly transfer the muffins to a cooling rack using an offset spatula or butter knife. This step is necessary to prevent the eggs from overcooking in the hot muffin pan.
Enjoy the muffins warm. Per tradition at Craftsman & Wolves, split the muffins in half and sprinkle with a tad of pink Himalayan sea salt. These can be stored in the fridge for up to three days but the yolks won’t remain runny if you reheat them.