Pear and Hazelnut Muffins
Makes 6 large muffins or 12 regular muffins
Ingredients
100g hazelnut meal
140g self raising flour
90g butter, chilled
60ml Azalea Grapeseed Oil
140g light golden caster sugar (or 70g brown sugar mixed with 70g white caster sugar)
2 eggs
1 tsp ground wattleseed (optional)
3 beurre bosc pears
Whole hazelnuts, roughly chopped and demerara sugar, to decorate
METHOD
1.
Preheat oven to 140ºC fan.
2.
In a food processor or blender, combine hazelnut meal, flour, butter and Azalea Grapeseed Oil. Pulse until combined.
3.
Add the sugar, eggs and wattleseed and pulse until just combined. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Dice 2 of the pears and mix into the batter.
4.
Divide batter evenly between the holes of a Texas muffin tin (6 holes) or a regular muffin tin (12 holes). Thinly cut slices of the remaining pear and press into the tops of each muffin. Scatter with chopped hazelnuts and demerara sugar. Bake for 35-40 mins (22-25 mins for regular sized muffins) or until the muffins spring back when gently pressed in the centre.
5.
Allow the muffins to cool in the tins before eating.
*Wattleseed is an Australian native ingredient with a nutty, roasted coffee aroma. It is available online or from good spice shops. If you don’t want to use wattleseed you can omit it from this recipe completely.