Maple Walnut Muffins

After all of the excess of the last week or so I was craving something simple today that I could enjoy with a cup of herbal tea. I confess I am fruit-caked and mince-pied OUT! Actually in all reality Todd is the one for the most part who eats those things.

I find them really sweet, and can only enjoy them in small amounts. I prefer something more in-between sweet and savoury with my tea.

These fabulously moist and delicious muffins fit the bill perfectly.

They are sweetened naturally, with just maple syrup. I can remember when I first moved here to the UK, I brought along a 2 litre can of Maple Syrup, right onto the plane! Remind me sometime I will tell you how much fun that was carrying it through the terminals with its wire handles. 😖 At the end a kind gentleman helped me out!

Back then maple syrup was very difficult to get ahold of here in the UK, and if you did find it, it was super expensive. Truth be told maple syrup is always a bit dear, even in North America, but I feel that it is worth every penny. I buy mine at Costco in a small jug.

These delicious muffins are not too sweet. There is no refined sugar in them, just the maple syrup, which also gives them a mild maple flavour . . .

I have to talk about my teacup. My sister gave this to me for my birthday a long time ago. She had found it in a charity shop and knew I loved teacups. It is my most prized teacup, mostly because it came from my sister with love. Gifts tied with heart strings are the best gifts of all.

Back to the muffins, they have a very tender crumb, almost cake like I suppose . . . . but they aren't cake. They're muffins.

They are studded throughout with toasted walnut meats, coarsely chopped . . . I love toasted nuts. I always toast them prior to baking with them. It helps to bring out their nuttiness. Just a few minutes on a baking sheet in a hot oven does the trick. You only want to toast them in the oven until you start to smell them. Then they will be perfectly toasted.

I chose to garnish the tops with halved walnuts, which is completely optional, but I think it makes them rather pretty.

Optionally you can dip the tops in warm maple syrup and serve them warm, dusted with a bit of powdered sugar, but I like them just like this.

These were the perfect treat after all of the indulgence of the holidays. Very, very welcome! I enjoyed one with a cup of Hibiscus tea steeped in the pot our friend Maxine gave us for Christmas. Its a glass teapot. I have always wanted a glass teapot!

Maple Walnut Muffins

Yield: 15 muffins

Author: Marie Rayner

Moist, light and delicious without being overly sweet.

ingredients:

245g plain flour (1 3/4 cup)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
120g butter at room temperature (1/2 cup)
180ml pure maple syrup (3/4 cup)
120g sour cream (1 cup)
1 free range large egg
87g chopped toasted walnuts, plus more to garnish (3/4 cup)

instructions:

How to cook Maple Walnut Muffins

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Butter a medium size muffin tin and line with paper liners.
Sift together the flour, soda and baking powder into a bowl and set aside.
Cream the butter until light with an electric whisk. Continue with the electric whisk and add the in the maple syrup a bit at a time, whisking constantly. Whisk in the egg and sour cream. Fold in the flour and the walnuts, until just blended.
Spoon into the prepared tin (you will have to cook three more separately after the first batch) filling 2/3 full. Top each with a piece of walnut if desired.
Bake for 12 to 16 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the centre will come out clean. Leave in the tins for a few minutes, then move to a cooling rack to finish cooling.