Plum, Cinnamon & Buttermilk Muffins
by eat in my kitchen
More plums and more muffins!
On Wednesday, I mentioned my unstoppable appetite for plums. I turned the sweet and sour fruit into a caramelized topping for a rich cheese omelette and made a heavenly ciabatta sandwich. Today I turned them into muffins, fluffy muffins, refined with lots of cinnamon and pretty plums on top. I need my sweet dose of homemade cake at least once a week and there’s no better day to indulge in this treat than on a Sunday. And if I don’t have much time, I go for muffins. A batch of 12 is just enough for the two of us for breakfast and tea time, and the last nibbles are reserved for dessert.
I like to use German plums for baking, also known as Damson plums, but feel free to use Italian plums or any variety you can find. Apples, pears, or blueberry work just as well, I’d even give some late summer peaches or figs a go.
More muffin inspiration:
Carrot and Pineapple Muffins with Hazelnuts
Bittersweet Chocolate Muffins filled with Peanut Butter
Fig, Ricotta and Olive Oil Muffins
Banana Muffins with White and Dark Chocolate
Plum, Cinnamon & Buttermilk Muffins
Makes 12 muffins
plain flour 200g / 1 1/2 cups
granulated sugar 70g / 1/3 cup, plus 2 tablespoons for the topping
baking powder 2 1/2 teaspoons
baking soda 1/2 teaspoon
a pinch of salt
ground cinnamon 1 1/2 teaspoons, plus 1/2 teaspoon for the topping
buttermilk 190ml / 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon
butter, melted and cooled, 90g / 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon
organic egg 1
large plums 8, cut into thin wedges
paper baking cups 12
Set the oven to 200°C / 400°F (preferably convection setting) and line the 12 molds of a muffin tray with paper baking cups.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
For the topping, combine the sugar and cinnamon.
In a large bowl, whisk the buttermilk, melted butter, buttermilk, and egg, then pour into the flour mixture. Using a wooden spoon, stir until you have a lumpy dough, with a bit of flour left here and there. Keep in mind, the more you mix it, the more it will lose its light texture. Divide the dough between the muffin cups and arrange the plum wedges on top. For the topping, sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar and bake for about 15 minutes (slightly longer if using a conventional oven) or until the muffins are golden and firm on top. Let them cool for 1-2 minutes before you take them out of the tray.
Hi Meike, that sounds good to me . Will let you know the results . Many thanks for your fast answer ! Dorle
Meike, do you think I could use regular milk instead of buttermilk ?
I also like the German plums, but find the ones called ” prune plums” identical. They are in the stores right now
I love your posts and collect them all in a special folder . Dorle.
Hi Dorle, you can replace buttermilk with regular milk, but you’d have to add 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice for 1 cup of milk (you can read about it here, on joythebaker.com: http://joythebaker.com/2013/11/baking-101-the-best-buttermilk-substitutes/ )
However, I never tried it myself. For my recipe you’d need 3/4 tablespoon vinegar (for 190ml whole milk), stir, and let it sit for 5 minutes before using. Good luck!