Pecan butter tarts

The recipe for this Canadian sweet treat comes from Anna Olson (original recipe here). The tarts were just divine. Those who love flaky crust with sweet caramel filling and crunchy nuts will be delighted. It is one of my favourite puddings recently :)

Ingredients for 12 -14 tarts:

crust:

•  360g flour
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 150g cold, unsalted butter
• 6 tbsp cold water
• 1 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar

Place the flour and salt into an eclectic mixer bowl.   Mix them with paddle attachment. Then add cut into a small pieces butter. When all the mixture will turn yellowish bread crumbs pour in water and lemon juice/white vinegar. Mix until the dough comes together. Form the dough into a log. Wrap into a cling film and chill in a fridge for at least two hours (mine was in the fridge overnight).

     

After that time remove from the fridge at least 20 minutes before  rolling.

Preheat the oven to 200C. Slightly grease the muffin tin.

Dust the worktop with a flour and place unwrapped dough in the middle. Slice the log into 12 pieces. Roll each of them 0,5 cm thin. Use an 11 cm round cookie cutter to cut each into a circle. Line each muffin cup with a pastry so it comes about 1 cm above muffin tin edge (mine were lower). Insert the muffin tin into a fridge to chill.

Meantime prepare the filling.

Ingredients for filling:

• 95g butter
• 185g demerara sugar
• 2 eggs
• 125 ml maple syrup 
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• about 40 pecan nuts

 Divide the pecans among all pastry shells. You can roast the pecans on dry pan before.

Place the butter and sugar into a sauce pan. Melt them  over medium heat, stirring until the mixture is bubbling. Remove the pot from the heat. 

In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, maple syrup, lemon juice, vanilla and salt. Slowly pour in the  hot sugar mixture while whisking constantly until incorporated. With  a ladle pour the mixture into prepared earlier tart shells.

Insert the muffin tin into preheated oven. Bake them in 200C for 10 minutes then reduce the temperature to 190C and bake another 10 - 15 minutes. bake until the filling is bubbling and crust edges are brown.

Remove the tin from the oven and set aside to cool down. After 5 minutes twist around in the pan to prevent sticking and keep the in the pan until completely cooled. 

     

Enjoy !

 

Double chocolate avocado muffins

This recipe comes form the muffin tin mania blog.  It was interesting to find out that there is another person who is addicted to his muffin tin :). When I saw avocado in one of the recipes I have decided to try it out. When I tasted the muffins I was surprised not to taste any avocado. Personally I think hiding vegetables in a cakes is a brilliant way to introduce veggies to the children. I have to say my girls had no clue that something healthy is hiding inside their pudding. Those muffins were tasty, very chocolaty we really enjoyed them.

Ingredients for 12 muffins:

• 240 whole wheat flour
• 60g cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 medium -sized ripe avocado
• 210g maple syrup
• 175 ml milk
• 70g coconut oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 100g chocolate chips
• 70g walnuts

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line muffin tin with paper liners.

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, cloves, cinnamon, baking powder, soda, salt into a big bowl and whisk well.

Peel off the avocado, remove the stone and put into blender. Add the maple syrup, coconut oil* and vanilla and blend until smooth.

* coconut oil turn into butter in room temperature you have to meld it down to turn it back into liquid

Pour the wet ingredients into dry ones. Stir until just moist. Then fold in chopped walnuts and chocolate chips.

Spoon the batter into baking tin. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes. Remove form the oven and cool down a little bit.

Enjoy !

Maple apricot oatmeal muffins

Porridge to go that is the best description of those muffins. They are packed with oats, dried fruits, sweetened with maple syrup and small amount of brown sugar. I think they are very healthy breakfast option. We liked them very much. The recipe comes form this website. 

Ingredients for 12 muffins:

• 240g oats
• 240 ml milk
• 80ml maple syrup
• 80g butter or margarine
• 1 egg
• 240g flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 15g brown sugar
•  100g dried apricots

Preheat the oven to 200C. Line muffin tin with paper cases.

Put the oats into a bowl add milk and maple syrup and stir well. 

In a separate bowl beat the butter, stir in the egg. 

Add the butter into a bowl with oats and stir well. 

In another bowl combine the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and soda. Chop the apricots into small chunks and stir the min the flour mixture. 

Add the dry ingredients into a bowl with wet ones and stir until just combined.

Spoon the batter into baking cases. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes until golden.

  

 Enjoy !

French toast muffins

What french toast is, I think, everybody know. Just to remind you, it is a slice of bread or brioche dipped in beaten egg, milk, cinnamon and grated nutmeg mixture, fried on a pan, served with maple syrup. Tasty breakfast :) When I found french toast muffins recipe on Sprinkle Bakes blog I had to bake them. Those muffins are spongy, fluffy, with spicy scent, not too sweet, a little bit sticky from maple syrup. I like them :)

Ingredients for 12-18 muffins:

• 290g flour
• 60g caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• pinch of salt
• 2 eggs
• 250 ml buttermilk
• 45g melted butter
• maple syrup
• icing sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 200C. Line muffin tin with paper cases. 

Melt the butter.

In a big bowl sift the flour, sugar, soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Whisk them together, set aside.

In separate jug whisk with fork eggs and butter milk. Pour this mixture into bowl with dry ingredients and the butter. With spoon combine all ingredients, do not over stir them. Spoon the batter into paper cases, 1/2 full. Bake for 10-15 min, check after 10 min. 

When baked, leave them for a while in baking tin. Later place them on wire rack. While they cooling down with toothpick make a holes on muffins, spoon over the maple syrup gently, let the syrup sink in the muffins, 2 tsp each. When finished dust with icing sugar. Enjoy !