Muffins

Today is muffin Sunday. The last few weeks I have been terribly overindulgent, so to curb that tide I stayed in today and instead of making rich, sweet cupcakes I made (up) some muffins.

Pistachio, cardamom and quince paste seemed like a good idea seeings as F. spent heaps of time last night organising the fridge and that container of quince paste just doesn’t seem to fit.

To assuage disappointment if the others didn’t work out, I made half a batch of walnut, mandarin and spice. These turned out very different, crispy and crunchy on the sides and top, meltingly smooth in the center, probably the brown sugar that did it.

Work is dragging along, I think I need a holiday, I know these muffins help me get through tomorrow.

Pistachio, Cardamom and Quince Paste Muffins

220g SR flour
1/2 castor sugar
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
3/4 cup oil
1/2 cup chopped pistachios
1/4t ground cardamom
1/4 quince paste, cubed
1/2 t lemon zest

Preheat oven to 180C and grease a 12 hole muffin tray with butter. Mix flour, sugar, nuts and cardamom, add quince paste. Combine milk, egg, oil, zest in a separate bowl. Make a well in dry ingredients and mix wet ingredients in very lightly. Spoon batter into prepared tray and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Walnut, Mandarin Spice Muffins

220g SR flour
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
3/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
zest and juice of 1 mandarin
1/2t each ground cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg
3/4 cup olive oil
Preheat oven to 180C and grease a 12 hole muffin tray with butter. Mix flour, sugar, nuts and spices. Combine milk, egg, oil, zest and juice in a separate bowl. Make a well in dry ingredients and mix wet ingredients in very lightly. Spoon batter into prepared tray and bake for 20-25 minutes.