Pistachio Muffins
These muffins perfectly blend a nutty flavor with a soft, moist texture. The pistachios bring a subtle green hue and a unique and rich yet not overpowering taste. You can use regular-sized tins or make jumbo muffins. They keep well and can be frozen.
Servings 12 regular muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- ¾ cup pistachios chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners (paper cups) or butter/spray them.
- Sift the dry ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder and ½ teaspoon baking soda together in a bowl, or have them measured and sift them directly over the batter when called for.
- Beat ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature and gradually add ¾ cup granulated sugar while you continue beating for 2-3 minutes.
- Add 2 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl regularly.
- Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon lemon zest and 2 teaspoons lemon juice and combine.
- Add them in 3 parts, alternating with 1 cup sour cream in 2 parts. That means you start and end with the dry ingredients. Mix and integrate well, but don't beat much at this point or it will toughen the baked muffins.
- Add ¾ cup pistachios, chopped. You add all of them to the batter or reserve some to sprinkle on top before baking.
- Scoop the batter evenly into the prepared muffin tins. I use a large cookie scoop, but you can use two spoons.
- Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until they rise, the tops crack a little and a tester inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean. The time varies depending on the size of your muffin tin and oven.
- Cool on a wire rack.
Notes
Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
Filling the muffin pans: this is a thicker batter than other muffins in this blog, so you can fill the paper liners to ¾ of their capacity, maybe even a tad more.
Storage: keep them wrapped or in an airtight container for a day or two at room temperature or frozen for a month.
Double batch: this recipe can easily be doubled if making them for a large crowd or if you want to make ahead and freeze.
