Hazelnut Muffins Two Ways ~ #MuffinMonday

This week for Muffin Monday I have hazelnut muffins for you! These muffins have hazelnut meal in the batter which lends such a nice hint of nutty flavor to them. The sound of hazelnut muffins alone was appealing to me as I read this assignment but these two little muffins hide a sweet secret inside. Oh how I love filled muffins!

Immediately after I read the original recipe I decided to up the hazelnut quotient by filling them with one of my all time favorite things… Nutella. I absolutely adore Nutella! The hazelnut cocoa combo is almost naturally the perfect filling for these little delights.

The original recipe called for these to be filled with a plum jam. Having no plum jam on hand I decided to make a chipotle pear filling which was inspired by a jam I discovered back in the fall. The slight warmth from the chipotle with the freshness of the pears was so perfect with these muffins. Whether you’re looking to start you day sweet or perhaps add a little spice to your day, either way these hazelnut muffins are a winner.

Enjoy!

~K

Muffin Monday is an initiative by Baker Street. A culinary journey of sharing a wickedly delicious muffin recipe every week. Drop in a quick line to join her on her journey to make the world smile and beat glum Monday mornings week after week.

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Hazelnut Muffins Inspired by Women’s Weekly

6 Tablespoons butter, melted

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup hazelnut meal

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 cup milk

1/2 cup jam or Nutella (recipe for chipotle pear filling follows)

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12 hole muffin pan with muffin liners.

- In a large bowl combine all the ingredients until moistened.

- Spoon half of the muffin batter into the prepared pan and make a well in each muffin, spoon in rounded teaspoons of filling and then top each with the remaining batter.

- Bake 20-25 minutes.

- Enjoy!

Chipotle Pear Filling 

2 Tablespoons butter

1 pear, finely diced

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Dash of chipotle pepper

Dash of salt

a squeeze of lemon juice

- In a skillet, melt butter. Add the pears and saute until softened a bit.

- Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, chipotle pepper, and salt. Cook until the pears are very soft and the sauce becomes syrupy. Taste and add a bit more chipotle if you like it to be a bit spicier than sweet.

- Stir in a squeeze of lemon juice and allow the mixture to cool and thicken.

Tagged as: baking, breakfast, brunch, cinnamon, easy, fruit, hazelnut, Muffin Monday, muffins, nutella, one-dish, pear, quick, recipe, simple, snack, spicy, sweet