Meatless Monday–Garam Masala Muffins with Orange-Pistachio Glaze

These muffins have been a long time coming.  I first saw them here, but when I went to make them, I realized I didn’t have garam masala.  When I finally got some, I pulled the recipe back up and only then realized it was for gluten free muffins.  While it would’ve been a great learning experiment to make them gluten free, I really was fine making them with regular flour.  That led me to another recipe search.  After much searching, I came across these muffins.  Since I had pistachios on hand, it was a go!

These muffins really made for a great breakfast or afternoon snack.  I reduced the sugar, so they weren’t super sweet.  They were light and fluffy and had just a hint of warmth from the garam masala.  They held up well in an airtight container, which meant a couple of mornings of quick weekday breakfasts.  I can say I’ll definitely be making them again!

Garam Masala Muffins with Orange-Pistachio Glaze

recipe inspired by All Day I Dream About Food and gastronomy

Ingredients:

1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour 

1/2 c. whole wheat flour 

1/3 c. packed brown sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt 

1 1/2 tsp. garam masala

zest of one orange

1 c. low-fat buttermilk 

1/4 c. unsalted butter, melted

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract, divided

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/2 c. shelled dry-roasted, salted pistachios, chopped

1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 TBSP fresh-squeezed orange juice

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Fill 12 wells of a muffin tin with liners and lightly spray.

2.  In a large bowl, whisk together flours, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, garam masala, and orange zest.  Make a well in the center.

3.  In a separate bowl, combine buttermilk, butter, 1 teaspoon
vanilla, and egg, stirring well with a whisk.  Add buttermilk
mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

4.  Divide batter among prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle nuts evenly over batter.  Bake for 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool for 5 minutes in pan on a wire rack.

5.  While muffins are cooling, combine remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, powdered sugar, and orange juice in a small bowl, stirring until smooth.  Drizzle evenly over muffins.  

two years ago: foolproof holiday fudge

three years ago: A story about my great grandmother and my 100th post–chocolate rum balls