royal tamarind, date and nut muffins

My mother is a fan of all things Royal and several years ago I cut out a recipe for Date and Walnut loaf from a local newspaper which is the inspiration for these tamarind muffins. Prince Charles was promoting his organic food brand Duchy Originals and shared several family favourites in the Duchy Originals Cookbook. This one is said to have been a favourite of the Queen Mother and it’s easy to see why with the sweetness of dates, sour tamarind paste and crunch of nuts. It’s a lovey combination of textures and flavours.

Over the years members of our family have made adjustments and changes to suit their tastes. I do love making these as muffins but it works just as well as a loaf.

ingredients

• 200g dates, pitted
• 100g maple syrup
• 50g tamarind puree
• 50g water
• 2 tablespoon milk
• 200g butter
• 150g brown sugar
• 50g castor sugar
• 2 eggs
• 150g walnuts
• 150g slivered almonds
• 150g flour
• pinch of salt
• 10g baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of nutmeg

directions

1. Heat maple syrup, dates, tamarind paste and 50ml of water together until dates begin to soften. Once cooled add the milk.
2. Cream together butter and sugars.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until combined.
4. Add the date mixture, nuts, flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix with a large spoon until all combined.
5. Spoon mixture into a muffin tin (I use two 12 hole muffin tins and fill one and a half) or a 20 x 10cm loaf tin (allowing about 2cm of rising).
6. Bake at 160 degrees celsius for 30 minutes (60 minutes for the loaf).

Thermomix directions

1. Add dates to TM bowl and chop for 10 seconds, speed 7.
2. Add maple syrup, tamarind puree and water to bowl and cook on varoma, 4 minutes, speed 1. Transfer to a separate bowl (you do not need to wash the TM bowl).
3. Cream butter and sugars for 10 seconds, speed 5.
4. Set to speed 1 and add one egg at a time. Increase to speed 4, for 5 seconds once both eggs are added.
5. Add 2 tablespoons of milk to date mixture and combine.
6. Add date mixture, nuts, flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg to TM bowl and mix for 10 seconds, speed 4.
7. Spoon mixture into muffin tin (I use two 12 hole muffin tins and fill one and a half) or a 20 x 10cm loaf tin (allowing about 2cm of rising).
8. Bake at 160 degrees celsius for 30 minutes (60 minutes for the loaf).

Enjoy your royal tamarind, date and nut muffins!

For other muffin ideas click here.