Cinnamon Walnut Muffins
an autumnal blending method muffin recipe
The temperature is finally starting to dip around here and I’m thrilled. I know, that in a few months, I’ll be complaining about how cold it is and wishing for warm spring and summer days, but for now I’m thrilled by the cool breezes in the air.
There’s always some debate around fall baking flavors—are you team apple or team pumpkin? Do you prefer maple or caramel? I’ve found that my favorite fall flavor (if I had to pick just one) has to be warming spices. I love all of the cozy nutty flavors like cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and all spice. Give me warm cups of chai or cozy hawaij snickerdoodles any day. I even created what I’m dubbing “the fall blend” (equal parts cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg), that I’ve been keeping in a little jar on my counter and adding to my coffee beans every morning for maximum coziness.
So in the spirit of maximum coziness, I’m bringing you cinnamon walnut muffins today. A very simple muffin batter, layered with a cinnamon sugar, and peppered with toasted walnuts. They are great for sharing with friends or keeping in your freezer to enjoy with your morning coffee.
Cinnamon Swirl Walnut Muffins
makes: 12-14 large muffins
Ingredients:
for the muffins:
1 3/4 cup (220) all purpose flour
1/2 cup (50 g) spelt flour*
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (113) coconut or neutral oil
2 eggs
1/3 cup (80 g) sour cream
2/3 cup (160 g) whole milk
for the cinnamon swirl:
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
1 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
Procedure:
Preheat the oven to 350° F and line muffin tins with liners. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, spelt flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
In a large measuring cup, whisk together oil, eggs, milk, and sour cream until smooth.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk to combine, taking care not to over mix.
Meanwhile, combine toasted walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl.
Place a spoonful of batter in each of the muffin tins, filling about 1/3 of the way. Spoon a sprinkle of the cinnamon sugar mixture in each muffin tin and then top with another spoonful of batter. Top each muffin with another sprinkle of the cinnamon sugar and use a knife or skewer to swirl into the tops of the muffins.
Bake for 20-22 minutes, until the muffin tops and edges are golden brown. Let the muffins cool slightly in the pan before turning onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes:
As always, you can replace the spelt flour with more all purpose flour if desired, or with another nutty flour, like rye, oat, or buckwheat.
