Crispy muffins with flaxseeds
Unlike the muffins I usually make, which tend to be moist and soft, today’s recipe is somewhat crunchy, the antithesis of muffins per se. And that doesn’t make them any less appealing—quite the opposite, they’ve turned out spectacular. It’s the first time I’ve made them because I hadn’t had almond crocanti until now—very easy to find, but I always forgot to buy it.
The “cherry on top,” as you can imagine, is optional, and also one of my first attempts at sugar icing. It looks fun and quite attractive and eye-catching, but nothing beats a good muffin just as it is, without any makeup and freshly out of the oven… although, as they say, tastes differ, and today’s color is white!
Ingredients for 12 units
12 paper molds for muffins
250 g wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 pinch of fleur de sel
100 g raisins
40 g almond crocanti (store-bought)
20 g flax seeds
100 ml freshly squeezed orange juice
100 g sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 egg
10 g more almond crocanti, 5 g more flax seeds and sugar for decoration (optional)
Preparation
In a large bowl, mix the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, fleur de sel, crocanti, raisins and flax seeds and set aside.
In another bowl, beat the egg and add the sugar, oil and orange juice.
Pour the mixture from the second bowl into the first and stir quickly until combined. The batter should be rather thick and consistent. If it is too runny, add a bit more flour. If it is too thick and hard to stir, add a splash of milk or oil.
Distribute the batter among the paper molds, previously placed in a sturdier mold to prevent them from deforming (I usually use a silicone mold or flan molds). Fill the paper molds only 2/3 full so they can rise.
Before placing them in the oven, sprinkle the flax seeds on top as decoration. You can also sprinkle the almond crocanti at this stage or reserve it for the end, on top of the sugar glaze.
Preheat the oven to 200ºC for 5–10 minutes. Bake the muffins on the middle rack for about 25–30 minutes.
Once baked, let them rest for about 5 minutes in the mold so they don’t break. Remove and let them cool.
Notes
You can freeze them and take them out a few minutes before consuming, either reheating them in the oven or 30 seconds in the microwave.
The amount of raisins is approximate; you can use more or less to taste.
The flax seeds are my own addition to the recipe, so you can omit them or replace them with anything else that pairs well.