Macadamia & Apple Muffins - cooking recipe

Ingredients

butter or oil, for greasing
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 cups self-raising flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
150 g macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 large apples, peeled and chopped
creme fraiche or mascarpone, to serve
Topping
20 g unsalted butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 large apples, unpeeled, cut into 24 wedges
100 g macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped

Preparation

Pre-heat oven to 180C and grease a 12 cup muffin tray.
Combine sugar, eggs and maple syrup in a medium bowl and whisk until thick and smooth.
Sift flours and cinnamon together in a large bowl and add chopped macadamia nuts.
Add bicarbonate of soda to buttermilk, stir until dissolved, then add buttermilk immediately to flour mixture, along with sugar-and-egg mixture and chopped apple.
Fold in gently until just combined.
Spoon mixture into muffin tray, place in preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a cake tester withdraws clean.
Stand muffins in muffin pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Topping:
Place butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan and heat gently until melted.
Add apple wedges and cook until soft and syrup is thick and smooth.
Add chopped macadamia nuts and stir to coat in syrup.
Spoon apple and macadamia topping over each cooled muffin and serve with creme fraiche or mascarpone. Makes 12.