with how busy life has been lately when i get a day off it calms my brain to just bake something. it relieves stress. i usually end up bringing them to the office and giving them away because i can’t handle baked goods lingering around my house. but the thing i love about baking is that it is a science and you have to pay attention. you can’t sit there on instagram while the batter is in the mixer because you run the risk of it over beating and separating. you have to pay attention.
i’ll admit it i’m not the worlds best baker. i’ve said it before, i’m much better at cooking (improvisation) but baking is a nice stress reliever for a relaxing sunday afternoon. oh come on i can’t be the only one who is still stressed out during a relaxing time. right? right. so baking. a few sundays ago when i went on an all out baking binge i combed through a few of my favorite baking books. last week i shared a recipe from magnolia and this week it’s hummingbird bakery. this is another book i’ve had forever and originally bought because of all the amazing cupcake recipes that and i love love love hummingbird cake. a GOOD hummingbird cake. sweet deal for you, (no pun intended) i found it on sale on line for $8.
i wanted to make something with ingredients that were in season. good job abby it’s uh january in michigan. so i went with dried fruits, nuts and you guessed it maple syrup. last week i shared the coconut oatmeal raisin cookies and this week it’s maple syrup pecan muffins. the coolest part? i used maple syrup that was made in the sugar shack on our property!
so here is what you need for the muffins.
2 2/3 cups of flour
3/4 cups of sugar
1.5 tsp baking powder
.5 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1.5 cups of buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 tablespoons of melted butter, cooled.
3/4 cups of maple syrup. REAL not imitation.
handful of chopped pecans plus 12 pretty ons for topping
1. heat the oven to 325 and line a muffin tin with liners. these get a little sticky courtesy of the syrup so you are going to want the liners. i also sprayed mine with a little pam
2. sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. in a separate bowl whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla.
3. add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. add the melted butter. stir. then add the pecans and HALF the maple syrup. (eyeballing it is ok it doesn’t need to be exact on this one).
4. fill the muffin tins about to the top. leaving a little head space because you are topping it with syrup. i was able to get exactly 12 muffins. drizzle the remaining syrup over each muffin. if you get it on the tin make sure you wipe it off or it will burn. top with a pecan.
5. bake for 22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. let cool in pan for 10 minutes. enjoy!
