Medjool Date and Brown Sugar Muffins

With Toasted Almonds and a Maple Glaze

Ingredients:

1C fresh pitted and chopped Medjool dates
2 1/3 C self-rising flour
¼ C sugar
¼ C brown sugar
1 t baking powder
¼ t cardamom powder
½ t kosher salt
1 t vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 C 2% milk
1 T light oil (such as sunflower)
½ C thinly sliced almonds (I used Trader
Joe’s brand)
Butter to great muffin tins

Glaze:

• 2 T maple syrup, ½ C powdered sugar, dash of kosher salt, and milk, just a bit at a time, to moisten to glaze consistency.

Direction:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Toss the chopped dates in a little flour, and work with your hands to gently coat and separate most if not all the individual pieces of the chopped dates. In a separate large mixing bowl, add the flour, sugars, salt, baking powder, and cardamom and mix well with a fork. In another bowl combine the egg, milk and vanilla and whisk until the egg is blended. Now, add the liquid to the flour mixture and stir just until combines. No aggressive stirring. Just get all the flour incorporated. Now using a spatula, fold in the dates until mixed throughout, folding from the bottom as you go and blending well.
• Grease the bottoms of a 6-count jumbo muffin tin with butter. Divide the batter evenly among the 6 openings. Sprinkle each with about 1 T of the almonds and cook for about 25 minutes of 375 degrees, then lower to 350 degrees and cook for another 5-6 minutes or until the almonds are toasted and the muffins are browned. Muffins are done when you a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Remove and cool on a rack. Drizzle with glaze, serve.