Friday, February 25, 2011

Walnut Date Muffin

  Who knew even chopping walnuts for this muffin could bring out quite the drama.  My son Milan (LM) loves walnuts.  Foreseeing I will not be able to chop up the walnuts, I need for the recipe, without appeasing him first, I counted out a few into his palms, tilted his face to make eye contact, and lovingly but certainly said “No more for today!” 
 
Date and Walnut Muffin

It was about his lunch time, and if I am not stern enough, walnuts will be his lunch.  He seemed to be taking it well.  Ate what I gave him, pulled up a chair, and stationed next to me.  Peering curiously onto the cutting board, while I chopped the walnuts, he asked:

LM:  "Amme, What is this?" (Pointing at the walnuts)
Aaah! All sweetness!  My mommy guard was up.  I knew where this question was going.  I did not answer that question directly for obvious reasons. 
Me: LM, it's your lunch time. I'll soon give you rice, so you cannot have any more walnuts!
He seemed unaffected and continued to stare at the cutting board.
LM: Ooook! (With his dragging ‘o,’ the accent he picked up from his sister.)
 Me: Don’t stand so close to the board kunje (endearment), what if the knife hurts you?
LM: Amme, what is this? (Now, pointing out to dates I was chopping)
Me: These are chopped dates. I am going to try and make some yummy muffins with walnuts and dates. 
LM: Oh, Muffan! (No accent anymore it comes out with a rounded ‘an’ at the end and resonant.  It’s quite cute the way he says it, if I may say so myself!)
Me: Right.
LM: Amme, can I have more walnuts?
Me: I already told you. That's it! (Mildly amused and exasperated, thinking how tenacious children can be, I handed him one more)  “This is the "last-last" one. 
He coined last-last, which essentially means my "last" is not his "last") You figure!
LM: Ooook! (Dragging himself off the chair.)

Date and Walnut Muffin

Having reached an agreement with my son, I continued chopping the rest of the walnuts.  Mostly in a hurry, thinking about getting his lunch ready.    
I turned around to check on him and he was out of sight.  Being a mother, looking instinctively at unlikely places for my children is second nature to me.  Within seconds my eyes caught his shirt behind the counter.  I bent down to see what he was up to.  LM looked back with eyes filled with guilt. I searched him with my eyes:

LM: Here we go! Pushed his hand in front of me, opened his palms and counted out a couple of walnuts into my hands. 

Children!  I have no idea how he nicked those from under my nose.

His middle name is the synonym for Krishna.  If Lord Krishna stole butter from his mother my LM steals walnuts and every thing else that is forbidden.  The proverbial joy of eating the forbidden fruit!

As for the muffins, they are far from forbidden.  Make a whole batch and enjoy them to your heart’s content.   

Date and Walnut Muffin

Ingredients:

Whole Wheat Flour- 3/4 cup
All purpose flour- 3/4 cup
Brown sugar- 1/3 cup
Baking soda- 1 tsp
Nutmeg powder- 1/8 tsp
Cloves powdered- 1/4 tsp
Cinnamon powdered- 1 1/2 tsp
Salt- 1/4 tsp
Milk- 1/2 cup
Unsulphured Molasses- 1/3 cup
Olive oil- 6Tbsp
Eggs- 2 large
Walnuts chopped- 1 1/4 cup
Dates pitted and chopped- 1 cup

Method:

1.Preheat oven to 400 degree F. Line muffin pan with paper liners and grease them.
2.Whisk together the flours,salt,spice powders and baking soda.
3.In another bowl mix molasses, milk,sugar,oil and eggs.
4.Mix the wet mixture into the dry mixture along with the chopped walnuts and dates, only until combined.Do not over mix.
5.Spoon into the muffin pan , till it is 3/4th full and bake for 15-16 minutes or until done.

Notes:

1.As the original recipe suggests you could use pumpkin pie spice mix instead of all the spices.
2.I got 18 medium sized muffins.


Contributor: Namitha
Recipe adapted from :here

53 comments:

  1. A very unique combo! Looks so tempting..:)

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  2. Walnut date muffins looks perfect. In my house cashew nuts are more in demand as little one try to munch on them.

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  3. A beautiful combo of muffins and mischief of your kutti krishnan. Loved them both although loved the writing a bit more than the recipe :):)Beautiful click.

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  4. They looks perfect,delicious combo,nice recipe dear,thanks for sharing.

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  5. Lovely muffins and beautiful writeup.... very good read..
    Reva

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  6. Loved reading this post, reading aobut your little son makes me think how fast kids groww up.
    Delicious looking muffin and love the blur wrapper

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  7. Muffins looks perfect..afterall Milan like something healthy--walnuts!

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  8. thats a yummy combo.....
    http://www.panchamrutham.blogspot.com/

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  9. Perfectly baked muffins, simply love ur clicks everytime I come to ur blog:)

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  10. Little MIlan is cutie pie, my muuuuahs to him Nami..

    Walnut dates muffin looks adipoli tto..

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  11. Umm enjoyed reading the conversation! And the muffins look fabulous! Just what I need for a snack now.

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  12. Lovely conversation...delicious and yummy muffins!

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  13. looks wonderful and delicious muffins,lovely clicks...

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  14. Adorable kid, kids grown up so faster na..

    Marvellous muffins,they looks out of the world..

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  15. in that way...their mischiefs seem soo cute at the time!....only time before they grown up and pulling fast ones on us!!
    the muffins looks too good dear..I can understand how fond he is of muffans!!:))
    Smitha
    http://smithasspicyflavors.blogspot.com/

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  16. Lovely date and nut muffins..!!
    Enjoyed your son's activities..

    http://krithiskitchen.blogspot.com

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  17. delicious flavours anything with dates yummy looks wonderful

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  18. Congrats on your blog being featured by "The Hindu". Go girls !http://www.hindu.com/mp/2011/02/25/stories/2011022550451100.htm

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  19. Des muffins pleins de saveurs.
    J'aime beaucoup.
    A très bientôt.

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  20. Wonderful muffins. Great clicks.

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  21. An excellent combo. Muffins look awesome.

    Deepa
    Hamaree Rasoi

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  22. Gosh! They look beautiful and so delicious!

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  23. Lovely muffins, superb clicks and a very beautiful write up.

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  24. cute conversation! i suppose its better to devour on walnuts than on many non-healthy stuff :) the muffins look so yummy, beautiful clicks.

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  25. The muffins are adorable and so is the story behind them.

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  26. ha ha .. it was nice reading about your child... seem it is happening in front of me.

    We also used to do the same at home when amma would prepare till ke laddu and unniappams... jaggery, cashewnuts, dates, kismiss.... were all the items we would steal.

    Amma used to say that we should not take things in between or the dish would not taste better... her tricks... :)

    The muffins looks good. I am not into commenting on the taste as I am not sure how they would taste. Baking il njyan kai vekunilla... why...? "chuma veedu vrutikedu akano"... It can be a amma dish... would love to taste :)

    I think this was the post I kept reading keenly as to what he would do at the last... convey my regards to Milan. His photo would have made the post better... :)

    Expecting more lovely posts.

    Regards,
    Abhi

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  27. Love those cute and healthy muffins, wholewheat and dates - a lovely combo for kids nutrition.

    Lite Bite

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  28. Lovely muffins i love any thing with walnuts n this is too tempting ..

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  29. nice combo dear...perfect muffins.there is a surprise waiting for u in my space....do check it out.
    biny

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  30. Wonderful clicks and delicious looking muffins!

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  31. lovely clicks and a healthy muffin.

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  32. Pavam Milan ;-) Muffins look perfect and delicious, Nami...Fabulous clicks!

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  33. Good for my afternoon snack with a cup of hot tea!

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  34. Hey Namithaa...came across your blog through Biny. It's amazing blog you've got here. Love the photos especially. Makes your drool and want some. And my son who's 3 now asks the exact same question... "amma what is this?" LOL! And btw...i'm sharing the awards Biny passed onto me with you too (i know she's already passed it on)....let this award be a way to tell you that i'm following you now! :)

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  35. awesome recipe and great pictures. Very nice write up. He is really an adorable cute krishnar

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  36. Delicious muffins! Love the spices that goes into this breakfast treat.

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  37. dates and walnuts are a kick ass combo..good job on being featured in the hindu

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  38. Love this combo..makes for a great homemade breakfast!
    They have out PERFECT!


    US Masala

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  39. Awesome muffins, looks yummy and delcious. Beautiful click.

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  40. lovely combo, wonderful clicks and above all enjoyed reading about Milan and his cute lisp!

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  41. Haha....your don is just SO cute! If only I can get my children to see walnuts like him. My girls hate nuts in and bakes. I have to grind them into powder! Love your muffins. Look very healthy and delicious. Hope you have a wonderful day. MaryMoh at http://www.keeplearningkeepsmiling.com

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  42. Wow..Colorful pic with wonderfull muffin..Cant resist to take one..

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  43. i couldnt stop laughing readin ur post..i could actually c everything infront of my eyes..this happens in my house all the time..although it mostly for butter..yes..

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  44. Lol ! enjoyed reading abt Milan..He is really an unni kannan :) Beautifil cup cake,love ur blue cups !

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