Maple Pecan Muffins

Finally, an end to the chocolate madness! Last Wednesday, as you might know, was a snow day in New York (yes!). We had gone to see a show the night before, so we slept in. We woke up and I wanted something freshly baked. Not wanting to wait too long, I turned to my new book, Muffins Galore, for a recipe. I found these Maple Pecan Muffins, which looked good, and we had all the ingredients for, so there you go.

They were pretty good - not very sweet, though, but that might be just what some people want for breakfast. The glaze is simply maple syrup brushed on top. Yum. Enjoy!

Maple Pecan Muffins (from Muffins Galore)

1/2 cup butter, softened

2/3 cup superfine sugar (I used regular)

2 tablespoons ground almonds

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

pinch of salt

3/4 cup buttermilk

7 tablespoons maple syrup

6-12 pecan halves, to decorate

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan or line the cups with paper muffin cups.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Stir in the ground almonds, then gradually beat in the eggs. Stir in the chopped pecans.

3. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the creamed mixture. In a small bowl, blend the buttermilk with 4 tablespoons of the maple syrup. Pour the buttermilk mixture all at once into the flour and creamed mixture, and mix briefly until just combined.

4. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, dividing it evenly, then top each muffin with a pecan half. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until well risen and firm to the touch.

5. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Brush or drizzle the remaining 3 tablespoons of maple syrup over the hot baked muffins and serve warm or cold.

Muffin Tip: Use real maple syrup for these muffins rather than artificial maple-flavored syrup.