Maple and English Walnut Muffins

Saturday 6 November 2010



It may be the Canadian in me but . . . my heart longs for the combination of Maple and Walnuts . . . I swear if you cut my veins . . . I bleed Maple syrup . . . tis true!



Maple is such a Canadian thing . . . we just love it . . . as syrup on our pancakes, maple poached eggs, maple flavoured sausages . . . Maple sugar Candy, Maple cream pies, etc. We just can't get enough of it's smokey sweetness! (One of these days I'll show you how to poach eggs in Maple Syrup, I promise!!)



I have fond memories of trips to the ice cream shop with my dad when I was a child and sharing crisp cones filled with Maple Walnut icecream . . . it was his favourite flavour as well as my own. Maple Walnut Icecream and my Dad . . . the two go together like peas and carrots!



You might be surprised to find out that the English Walnut isn't actually English at all. It originated in Persia, and is now the most widely cultivated Walnut in the world. Black Walnuts are native to North America and not as easy to grow, so you will find that most walnuts that you buy are of the English Variety, coz well . . . they're just easier to grow!



Did you know that toasting nuts really helps to enhance their flavour? It's really easy to do too. Just spread them out on a baking sheet and toast in a preheated (180*C/350*F/ gas mark 5) oven for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.



These delightful muffins combine those two flavours that I love beautifully . . . They have a bold Maple flavour and irresistibly crunchy tops, not to mention the rich crunch of walnuts throughout.



Pure and simple . . . these are heaven. With butter or without . . .



But why not just go whole hog and have the butter too. You know you want to!



*Maple and English Walnut Muffins*
Makes 12 large
Printable Recipe

Rich with a bold maple flavour, crunchy topped and buttery good!

softened unsalted butter to butter tins
9 1/2 ounces plain flour (2 1/4 cups)
3 ounces whole wheat flour (3/4 cup)
1 TBS baking powder
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
12 ounces pure Maple Syrup (Grade B Amber)
12 TBS unsalted butter, melted
4 ounces whole milk (1/2 cup)
1 large free range egg, plus 1 egg yolk
4 1/2 ounces of whole English walnuts, toasted and chopped

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Butter a 12 cup muffin tin really well on the insides with the softened butter, and then all over the top. Set aside.

Whisk the flours, baking powder and salt together in a bowl. Whisk the Maple Syrup, melted butter and milk together in another bowl. Beat in the egg and egg yolk. Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients and mi together just until smooth. Stir in the walnuts and then allow to stand for about 5 minutes before proceeding.

Scoop the batter into the muffin tin, dividing it equally amongst each cup.

Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Continue to bake until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for ten minutes in the pan before removing to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Lovely served warm with butter for spreading, as well as served cold. These are just plain lovely no matter what!

13 comments

  1. I'm not a Canadian, Marie...but I think I just may have the stuff in my veins, too! I adore maple syrup...almost more than anything else!

    These muffins sound so temptingly wonderful...(that's not much different than what I always say to you, is it?!) Everything you make is scrumptious!

    I hope your day is just as beautiful as you are, my dear friend! So much love, hugs and warm thoughts sent your way this November night...

    Julie

    ReplyDelete
  2. Guess what? I've actually tried Maple Syrup Candies. I bought them from a small stand at a market when we had crossed the border into Canada for lunch would you believe!!! They were great but a little went a long way for me. But I'm thinking these muffins wouldn't be as hard to eat lol

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hayırlı günler, çok leziz ve iştah açıcı görünüyor. Ellerinize, emeğinize sağlık.

    Saygılar.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Your muffins look wonderful. I have been having a love affair with maple syrup since a trip to Canada several years ago. It is always a store cupboard staple. My granddaughter loves it spread on digestive biscuits!

    ReplyDelete
  5. 12 ounces of maple syrup..and the look of these what's not to love? You are just a little world book of knowledge recipes:) Thanks for sharing as always~

    ReplyDelete
  6. The tops of these muffins are gorgeous! Beautifully done.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh, these are lovely, Marie... warm with a dab of butter, sweet with a hot cuppa on a chilly day! ;o) Thank you... Happy Weekend, dear friend--LOVE YOU LOTS ((BIG HUGS))

    ReplyDelete
  8. Marie...these look devine!! I will be trying these very soon :)

    Blessings!
    Gail

    ReplyDelete
  9. Dear Marie look wonderful and delicious, my dear have a lovely weekend with Todd and Daisie , (how is she??) Here is soooo hot (more summer than spring) huggss xoxoxoxo

    ReplyDelete
  10. I just found your blog and love it. I don't often come across many blogs from the UK! I am a fellow food blogger and a Scot now living in France. We have a lot in common! I am now following your blog and hope you will have a peek at mine.

    http://atasteofsavoie.blogspot.com/

    Happy blogging.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Black walnuts are the BEST,
    albeit much harder to grow.
    My dad grows the other kind.
    My sweet mama has a favorite
    memory of my grandma's Black
    Walnut Cake and just wish we
    had the recipe to go with it!
    Looking forward to trying these,
    Marie : )!!
    xx Suzanne

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oh my goodness... I am making these soon. They look absolutely delicious (and I love maple syrup).

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi Marie, nice food blog & lovely muffins post. overall You have beautifully maintained it, you must submit your site for free in this website which really helps to increase your traffic. hope u have a wonderful day & awaiting for more new post. Keep Blogging!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for stopping by. I love to hear from you so do not be shy!


BEFORE LEAVING A COMMENT OR RATING, ASK YOURSELF:
Did you make the recipe as directed? Recipe results are not guaranteed when changes have been made.

Is this comment helpful to other readers? Rude or hateful comments will not be approved. Remember that this website is run by a real person.

Are you here to complain about ads? Please keep in mind that I develop these recipes and provide them to you for free. Advertising helps to defray my cost of doing so, and allows me to continue to post regular fresh content.

Thanks so much for your understanding! I appreciate you!