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Passion Fruit Muffins - Pastelitos de Maracuyá

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Passion Fruit Muffins

Marian Blazes
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:

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

  2. Cut the passion fruits in half and scape pulp and seeds into a microwave safe bowl.

  3. Microwave passion fruit pulp for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until very hot

  4. 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.

  5. In a standing mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

  6. Mix together eggs, passion fruit pulp, lime juice, vanilla, and yogurt.

  7. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.

  8. 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.

  9. Line muffin tins with paper. Fill 18 regular muffin tins (or 10 jumbo) 3/4 full.

  10. 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.

  11. Crumble 1 tablespoon of oat/nut mixture on the tops of the muffins.

  12. 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.

  13. Check for doneness. Muffins should spring back slightly when touched. Larger muffins may require an extra 5 to 8 minutes.

  14. Remove muffins and let cool in pans on a rack for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from pan.

  15. 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.

  16. Drizzle glaze over top of muffins. If glaze thickens, try reheating for a few seconds in the microwave.

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