Baklava Muffins

Baklava though tempting, is not something I see myself make in the near future with weight management forever on my agenda!
I did notice that inspite of it's exotic looks, Baklava is really simple to make.
The only thing I know is that we don't need a tray of this decadent dessert sitting in our refrigerator seductively staring down at us all the time. And knowing us, we will cave almost everytime!
So I dug and dug for Baklava siblings to enjoy this dessert on those special occasions or when my dinner themes were Mediterranean or just for brunch.
To tell you the truth, you don't really need a special occassion to make these muffins of joy! They are simple, quick and awesome!

These muffins have a light muffin texture and a nutty top or inside. They have a characteristic walnut and honey flavor with a hint of cinnamon in the background. By themselves, they are not as sweet, but if you eat them the way you are supposed to - with some warm honey, it tastes perfect! I will definitely try these again really soon.

Now, you can add the walnut-cinnamon filling in the middle or on top of the muffins. I personally sprinkled it a little in between the batter while assembling and a lot on top, as I loved how roasted and caramel like the topping got when these were all baked. And the aroma that spread in the kitchen while these were baking...was pure bliss!

Let us get to the baking now..

Level: Simple
Serves: 12 muffins
Source: Nigella Lawson's 'How to be a Domestic Goddess'

(honey soaked muffins)

Ingredients:
For the filling:
1/2 cups chopped walnuts
1/3 cup sugar
1.5 tsp cinnamon powder
3 tblsp butter (melted)

For the muffins:
1 cup + 7 tblsp plain flour (yes..that is how she measures it)
2 tsp baking powder
0.5 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
3 tblsp butter (melted)
1 cup + 2 tblsp buttermilk

For the topping:
1/2 cup honey (I used 1/8th cup. That was all the sweetness we needed)

Method:
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 400 Deg F. Place your muffin liners in your muffin pan and spray them lightly with some nonstick spray.

Step 2 - Let us make the filling. In a bowl, add all the filling ingredients together (chopped walnuts, sugar, cinnamon powder and butter). Mix well. Keep aside.

Step 3 - In a large bowl, take the plain flour, baking powder and baking soda together. Mix it well with a spoon. Make a well in the center to pour in the liquid ingredients. Keep aside.

Step 4 - In another medium bowl, whisk together the egg, melted butter and buttermilk. Whisk it till it all incorporates together and forms a creamy, liquidy mixture.

Step 5 - Pour this mixture into the well formed in the dry ingredients in Step 3. Mix lightly and gently with a spatula or a spoon remembering to keep it bumpy rather than smooth. Do not get your electrical appliances out for this. I cannot stress enough on how gentle you need to be here. Too much handling of the batter will result in heavy muffins.

Step 6 - Now let us get assembling. Fill in each muffin cup 1/3rd full with the batter. If your batter is too thick, spread it around so that it covers the base of the muffin cups completely. Sprinkle a little filling mixture from Step 2. Cover this with the remaining muffin batter till the muffin cups are 3/4th full. Do not overfill the muffin cups. Sprinkle the remaining filling on top of the muffin batter. Lick those cinnamonny fingers! ummmm...

Step 7 - Bake these in your preheated oven for 15 mins, by which time they should be golden-brown and ready. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out without any liquid batter on it.

Step 8 - Take the honey in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 10 - 15 seconds. Stir the honey well. This should make the honey runny (that just rhymed!).

Serve warm with some warm honey over it. The warmth in the muffins, soaks in all the sweetness from the honey! DIVINE!

Tips:
If I want to enjoy these at a later time I let the muffins cool down, put them in a box and store them in the refrigerator. When it is time to eat, I just pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds and serve. I keep the bowl of warm honey on the table, so people can adjust the sweetness of these muffins as per their own desired sweetness levels.

Walnuts:
By now, you have likely heard that a diet rich in certain types of fish helps ward off heart attacks and strokes. But if you can't stand the thought of eating fish - try WALNUTS instead!
A new study suggests that walnuts have a similar beneficial effect on cholesterol levels and C-reactive protein (CRP), an inflammation marker that is strongly associated with atherosclerosis and heart diseases.
A recommended serving of walnuts is 1 ounce, which equates to 1/4 cup or 12 - 14 walnut halves.