Making a treat on Mother’s Day can create joy for the baker as well as the beloved recipient. This is especially true if the baked goods are delicious and easy to make.
These Pecan Pie Muffins go together quickly, using only 6 ingredients if you count the nonstick spray used to mist the paper liners used to line a muffin pan. I like to serve them accompanied by a bowl of fresh strawberries.
Pecan Pie Muffins
Yield: 9 muffins
INGREDIENTS
Nonstick cooking spray
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1 1/3 sticks butter, melted but not hot; see cook’s notes
Cook’s notes: I figure that 1/3 of a stick of butter is 2 2/3 tablespoons.
DIRECTIONS
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 350 degrees. Place 9 paper liners in muffin cups and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine the pecans, sugar, and flour. Make a well in the center of the mixture.
3. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs until starting to get foamy. Add the melted butter in a steam, mixing constantly. When combined, pour into the well in the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined (I use a silicone spatula). Spoon into paper liners until each one is almost full (I use an ice cream scoop).
4. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of a muffin, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Source: Food Network, adapted from Trisha Yearwood’s “Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen” (Clarkson Potter)
Award-winning food writer Cathy Thomas has written three cookbooks, including “50 Best Plants on the Planet.” Follow her at @CathyThomas Cooks.com.
