Muffins are a popular bakery item in South America, though they're not exactly a traditional Latin food. These
passion fruit muffins are a hit in both the North and the South due to their tart passion fruit flavor and the sweet pineapple folded into the batter. They are topped with a crumble made from Brazil nuts, oats, and brown sugar, and drizzled with a passion fruit glaze.
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup plain unsweetened yogurt, at room temperature
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup canned crushed pineapple (or other canned pineapple, chopped fine)
- Juice of 1 lime
- 4 passion fruits (for about 1 cup passion fruit pulp), or 1 cup frozen passion fruit pulp
- 3 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup uncooked oats
- 1/4 cup finely chopped, toasted, Brazil nuts
- 3 tablespoons butter. slightly softened
- 2 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Cut the passion fruits in half and scape pulp and seeds into a microwave safe bowl.
- Microwave passion fruit pulp for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until very hot
- Strain pulp through a fine mesh sieve, stirring and pressing on pulp and seeds to extract all the liquid pulp. Discard seeds. Reserve 5 tablespoons of the passion fruit juice for the glaze.
- In a standing mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Mix together eggs, passion fruit pulp, lime juice, vanilla, and yogurt.
- Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the liquid ingredients to the butter/sugar mix, alternating with the dry ingredients. Finish with the dry ingredients, folding them in by hand. Fold in the pineapple. Do not over mix.
- Line muffin tins with paper. Fill 18 regular muffin tins (or 10 jumbo) 3/4 full.
- Place chopped Brazil nuts, oats, and brown sugar in a bowl. Add 3 tablespoons butter. Mix butter into the oats and nuts with your fingers, until well mixed.
- Crumble 1 tablespoon of oat/nut mixture on the tops of the muffins.
- Bake the muffins on the center rack at 450 degrees for 5 minutes. Lower the heat to 400 degrees, and bake for 10 minutes more.
- Check for doneness. Muffins should spring back slightly when touched. Larger muffins may require an extra 5 to 8 minutes.
- Remove muffins and let cool in pans on a rack for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from pan.
- Whisk 5 tablespoons passion fruit juice, melted butter, and 1 tablespoon lime juice into the powdered sugar. Add pinch of salt and 1/2 vanilla. Thin with more juice or water if necessary.
- Drizzle glaze over top of muffins. If glaze thickens, try reheating for a few seconds in the microwave.
