Linzer muffins and a new goal

I feel that some of you reading me right now will relate to the following situation: every time I go to the grocery store I buy ingredients I do not actually need just because I might need them for a certain recipe someday. Then days, months go by before I use those ingredients. And, shame on me, sometimes they go to the garbage can. I know, it’s awful. And I’ve done that too many times, I must confess.

I’ve decided to bring that kind of silly thing to an end and bake with the ingredients I have on hand. To achieve that goal, I made an inventory of my ingredients – inspired by Martha – and that resulted in these delicious, super tender muffins.

Linzer muffins
slightly adapted from the wonderful Gourmet Today: More than 1000 All-New Recipes for the Contemporary Kitchen

1 ½ cups (210g) all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups (150g) almond meal (finely ground almonds)
¾ cup (150g) superfine sugar
½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (240ml) whole milk, room temperature
6 tablespoons (¾ stick/84g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
about 1/3 cup raspberry jam
confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Butter a muffin pan with twelve ½ cup capacity muffin cups.
Whisk together flour, almond meal, sugar, lemon zest, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Whisk together milk, butter, egg and vanilla extract in a small bowl, then stir into dry ingredients just until combined – do not overmix; batter should be lumpy.
Put a scant ¼ cup batter into each muffin cup. Top each with 1 rounded teaspoon jam. Divide remaining batter among cups. Bake until golden and muffins pull away from edges of cups, about 20 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 5 to 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack. Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.

Makes 12 – I halved the recipe, used 1/3 cup (80ml) capacity muffin pans and got 8 muffins