---

I’m going to take a break from apple recipes this week and take you on a “muffin trip.” Really! We are going to go to various countries around the world and find out what their favorite muffin recipe is. If you’re in a rut baking blueberry or bran muffins and would like a change, come with me.

+++++

First we’ll go to the Middle East. This country has an abundance of date palms and juicy Haifa oranges that provide the main ingredients for these muffins.

1-3/4 c. diced dates

2 large juice oranges

grated rind of one orange (be sure not to grate the “pith,” the white part under the skin)

water

2 T. butter, melted

1 t. vanilla

1 egg

2 c. flour

1/4 t. salt

2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

2/3 c. sugar

1 c. chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)

Put dates into a large mixing bowl. Squeeze juice from oranges and add water to fill one cup water. Combine orange juice mixture and grated rind.

Pour over dates; let stand 15 minutes. Add rest of ingredients, stir just until ingredients are moistened.

Fill greased muffin tins or use paper liners three-fourths full. Bake at 375 degrees about 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Makes 16-18 muffins.

+++++

And, on to Russia. This recipe is a spinoff of a popular Russian walnut cake, Orechovii tort.

RUSSIAN WALNUT CAKE

1-1/2 c. flour

1 T. baking powder

1/4 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. white sugar

1 c. chopped walnuts

1 egg

1 t. vanilla

1 c. minus 1 T. milk

1/4 c. butter, melted

Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl. Add nuts. Whisk together remaining ingredients.

Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the liquid ingredients, stirring quickly. The batter will be lumpy.

Spoon into greased or paper lined muffin tins. Bake at 375 degrees 20-25 minutes until muffins are light brown. Makes 12 muffins.

+++++

And, onto Denmark . . . this country produces a large amount of cream each year. The Danes make some of the richest ice cream in the world and have added sour cream to many of their recipes, like this one.

DANISH SOUR CREAM MUFFINS

2 c. flour

2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

3 T (heaping) sugar

1 t. baking soda

1 c. coarsely chopped pecans

2 c. sour cream

2 beaten eggs

Combine first five ingredients; stir in pecans.

Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the sour cream and egg. Mix only until moistened.

Spoon into greased or paper-lined muffin cups. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Makes 12-14 muffins.

+++++

And, the last stop on our trip is Norway . . . these whole wheat muffins are a “spin-off” from hearty Norwegian “Hvetekake.”

NORWEGIAN WHOLE WHEAT MUFFINS

1 c. whole wheat flour

1 c. unbleached white flour

1/2 t. salt

1 T. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 c. coarsely chopped walnuts

1 c. buttermilk (if no buttermilk, put 2 t. vinegar in a one cup measuring cup and add milk to make 1 cup. Let sit 5 minutes before adding to recipe.)

2 beaten eggs

1/3 c. melted butter or margarine

Combine first six ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in nuts.

In another bowl, combine next three ingredients. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in liquid mixture. Stir just until moistened.

Spoon into greased or paper-lined muffin cups. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Makes 18 muffins.

+++++

Perhaps you noticed that all of these recipes have nuts in them. Obviously all of these countries know that nuts are very good for us. You may, however, leave them out if you have the problem of being allergic to nuts.

+++++

Thought for today: Nothing can be sliced so thin that it only has one side.

---