Nigella Challenge: Baklava Muffins

These are delicious. Not much else to say really. They manage to be stupidly simple and fancy at the same time.

As a flavour combination, you can't get much better than baklava. But it is a tricky thing to make, so why not try fool-proof muffins instead? They're best eaten warm so you can truly appreciate the crunchy, melting buttery-honey taste.

[filling]

• 100g walnuts, chopped
• 75g demerara sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 45g butter, melted

[muffins]

• 210g plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarb soda
• 75g caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 45g butter, melted
• 250ml buttermilk (or 175g yoghurt & 75g milk)*

[topping]

• 125ml honey (warmed in microwave to make runny or using a squeeze bottle)

*I know it sounds really odd to weigh a liquid, but I'm just trusting Nigella on this one. FYI I used this method.

Preheat oven to 200C. Line a 12-whole muffin tray with paper cases (essential, as we'll be drizzling with honey later).

Combine the walnut filling ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Next, combine the dry ingredients for the muffins in a mixing bowl. In a jug, whisk together the egg, melted butter and buttermilk. Pour into the dry ingredients and lightly mix until just combined. Remember not to over mix - it should be a lumpy-ish mixture. Over mixing is the death of muffins. 

Fill each paper case one-third full and then add a tiny teaspoon of the walnut filling. Cover this with more batter, filling about two thirds full. If you have any filling leftover, just dot it on top of the muffins.

Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown.

Put the muffins onto a rack and drizzle with honey while they're still hot. It could get messy so maybe throw down an old tea towel or bit of newspaper to save on cleaning up. 

Give the honey a minute to soak in before eating as the filling is HOT (I learnt the hard way...).