Now walnut muffins may not be a common fare, but when you have a giant walnut tree in your backyard, walnut muffins is a natural consequence. A word of caution when buying packaged walnut meat, if the walnut pieces are worn at the edges, there is a good chance they are rancid. Don’t buy rancid nuts these are toxic. Buy only fresh nuts, even if you have to crack them yourself, and always freeze what is left. Shelled nuts don’t keep well in the cupboard.
At first I overloaded the muffins with finely ground walnuts and the result was a cakelike texture, soft and delicate. Not at all the robust muffin I was looking for. This time I increased the flour and decreased the ground walnuts. If walnut extract is unavailable, use walnut essence, the flavoring used for homemade liquor. Get it from a health food store or a wine shop.
Not to muddy the walnut flavor, I added only 2 teaspoons of cocoa for color. This is a walnut muffin and not particularly chocolaty.
Walnut Muffins
1/2 cup finely ground walnuts
2 cups flour
2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup soft butter
4 Tbsp oil
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp walnut extract or 1 tsp walnut essence
1/2 cup 3.25 buttermilk
1/2 cup 14% sour cream
2/3 cup chopped walnuts for the top
• Preheat oven to 425F.
• Line a muffin tin with large parchment liners.
• Using a grinder or a food processor finely grind the walnuts and set it aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and the salt until truly combined. Set it aside.
• Add the soft butter, oil, sugar and the lemon juice to a beater bowl and beat until fluffy.
• Add the eggs one by one and beat to combine.
• In a measuring cup whisk together the sour cream and the buttermilk.
• Alternating, gradually add the flour mixture, the sour cream mixture to the butter mixture on low speed.
• With a wooden spoon stir in the fine ground walnuts.
• Divide the batter in the prepared muffin tin.
• Arrange the chopped walnuts on the top and bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes.
• Reduce heat to 400F and bake 12 minutes longer.
• Test one of the middle muffins with a cake tester. Bake it a bit longer if needed.
• Remove the muffin tin from the oven and place it on a wire rack.
