This recipe came about after numerous statements from Elliott (whose camera finesse is much appreciated, by the way) that he wanted to "eat this tea instead of drink it." I should probably state RIGHT NOW that I am just as obsessed with tea as I am with chocolate and figs. I probably should have named this blog The Chocolate Tea Fig. But if I was to include tea, I wouldn't want the Greek yogurt, oatmeal, or local honeys to feel left out. So I'd have to call it The Chocolate Tea and Yogurt Oatmeal Honeyed Fig Blog. And that's just too long.
ANYWAY. I'd finally opened some rose champagne-flavored black tea from a while ago, and its delicate aroma had been saturating the kitchen for several days. I'll admit, it was hard to stop myself from scooping a spoonful and chewing on it. However, I decided it was a better idea to grind a few tablespoons into a powder and bake it in some muffins. We added toasted almonds and almond extract for another twist. The result was.... SO. GOOD. Light, airy, not at all filling morsels with the perfect aroma from the tea and a wonderful earthiness from the almonds. They were uhhmazing with a fresh cup of the same tea. The only thing I might change is to chop or grind the almonds- they were a little too crunchy and dense for the otherwise delicate muffin. I think using black tea worked well, but I would definitely support experimenting with different teas and add-ins. Green tea and dried cherries might be good.
Tea and Almond Muffins
Ingredients:
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2-3 Tbsp black tea, ground fine into a powder
1 cup milk
1/2 cup light olive oil or other vegetable oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup toasted almonds, chopped
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.
In a large bowl, stir together flours, sugar, baking powder, salt, and tea. In another bowl, mix milk, oil, egg, and almond extract.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredient; add wet ingredients and mix thoroughly. Add almonds and stir until incorporated.
Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups and bake 15-20 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool 5-10 minutes and serve warm, or store in airtight container at room temperature.
ANYWAY. I'd finally opened some rose champagne-flavored black tea from a while ago, and its delicate aroma had been saturating the kitchen for several days. I'll admit, it was hard to stop myself from scooping a spoonful and chewing on it. However, I decided it was a better idea to grind a few tablespoons into a powder and bake it in some muffins. We added toasted almonds and almond extract for another twist. The result was.... SO. GOOD. Light, airy, not at all filling morsels with the perfect aroma from the tea and a wonderful earthiness from the almonds. They were uhhmazing with a fresh cup of the same tea. The only thing I might change is to chop or grind the almonds- they were a little too crunchy and dense for the otherwise delicate muffin. I think using black tea worked well, but I would definitely support experimenting with different teas and add-ins. Green tea and dried cherries might be good.
Tea and Almond Muffins
Ingredients:
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2-3 Tbsp black tea, ground fine into a powder
1 cup milk
1/2 cup light olive oil or other vegetable oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup toasted almonds, chopped
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.
In a large bowl, stir together flours, sugar, baking powder, salt, and tea. In another bowl, mix milk, oil, egg, and almond extract.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredient; add wet ingredients and mix thoroughly. Add almonds and stir until incorporated.
Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups and bake 15-20 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool 5-10 minutes and serve warm, or store in airtight container at room temperature.