Sea Buckthorn Muffins with Sour Cream

These sour cream and sea buckthorn muffins have a golden crust and a soft inside, combining a light caramel sweetness with the refreshing tang of sea buckthorn berries.

Ingredients (makes about 12 muffins)

Batter:

• 4 dl wheat flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1.5 dl brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 125 g melted butter
• 2 dl sour cream
• 1 dl milk
• 1.5 dl sea buckthorn berries (fresh or frozen)

Glaze:

• 2 dl powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp sea buckthorn juice

Preparation

1. In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and brown sugar.
2. Add the egg, melted butter, sour cream and milk, and stir into a smooth batter.
3. Add the sea buckthorn berries and gently fold them in quickly, making sure they don’t thaw or break apart too much.
4. Divide the batter into muffin tins (use paper or silicone molds, or lightly butter the tin).
5. Bake in a preheated oven at 200 °C for 20–25 minutes until the muffins are golden brown.
6. Let the muffins cool and prepare the glaze. Mix powdered sugar with sea buckthorn juice until smooth, then drizzle over the cooled muffins.
7. If you like, top with a few extra sea buckthorn berries or some grated orange zest.

Tip: Do not thaw frozen berries beforehand – this way they will keep their shape and won’t make the batter too watery. In addition, the heat will affect them less strongly, helping the flavor stay fresh.

Adapted from a Pereköök recipe, January 2006.

For the curious

The word muffin was already in use in England in the 18th century, although its exact origin is unclear. It may come from the French mouflet (soft bread) or the German muffen (small cakes). Interestingly, “muffin” once referred to something quite different from today’s fluffy baked treat in a paper cup. In England, muffins were thin yeast-leavened breads baked on a griddle or pan and served with butter.

Modern muffins, as we know them today, are more of an American creation – a universal form of pastry that can hold almost anything: berries, chocolate, cheese, vegetables, even bacon.

In Estonian, there isn’t yet a fully established local word for muffin. Sometimes people say küpsetis (baked good), koogike (small cake) or vormikook (cake baked in a mold), but none of them carry quite the same feel as “muffin.” A playful option might be muhvin – a soft, round and cozy little treat, not unlike the character Muhv from the children’s story Naksitrallid. If Muhv were a pastry, he would surely be… a muffin! 🙂