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! 🙂

The post Sea Buckthorn Muffins with Sour Cream appeared first on Dago Seaberry.

In Estonia, we traditionally use curd (kohupiim in Estonian) in baking – a fresh, grainy dairy product somewhat similar to farmer’s cheese, quark, or dry cottage cheese. If you can’t find curd, quark or a mixture of ricotta and Greek yogurt can work well as a substitute.

Ingredients

Crust:

• 100 g unsalted butter, softened
• 50 g unrefined cane sugar
• 1 egg
• 100 g rice flour
• 1 tsp baking powder

Filling:

• 500 g vanilla curd (or quark)
• 200 ml heavy cream
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp potato starch
• 2 tsp vanilla sugar
• 100 g unrefined cane sugar
• Juice of ½ lime

To serve:

• Frozen sea buckthorn berries (for topping and on the side)

Instructions

Crust:

Mix the softened butter and sugar until combined. Add the egg and whisk until smooth. Stir in the rice flour and baking powder. Press the dough evenly into a buttered 24 cm (9.5 inch) springform pan, covering the base and the sides (up to 3–4 cm / ~1.5 inches).

Filling:

Place all filling ingredients – curd, cream, eggs, sugars, starch – into a large bowl. Whisk until creamy. Add the lime juice, mix again, and pour the filling onto the crust.

Bake in a preheated oven at 175–180°C (350°F) for 45–50 minutes. Let cool completely before serving.

Top with frozen sea buckthorn berries and serve with a few extra on the side.

Tips:

• For a lighter, airier texture, beat the filling for 3–4 minutes before baking.
• If you prefer a denser, more traditional curd-like texture, mix just until combined.
• When pressing the dough into the pan, try to keep the edges even for a nicely shaped crust.

For the curious

Curd is one of the oldest dairy products in the world. Archaeological evidence suggests that long before the invention of cheese or yogurt, people were already making a simple curd-like substance by fermenting milk. The ancient Romans called it lac concretum – “hardened milk” – and often ate it sweetened with honey.

In Estonia, curd has held a special place in traditional cooking for centuries. It was easy to make, nourishing, versatile, and perfect for both savory dishes and sweet treats. In our case, it produces a perfect sea buckthorn curd cake. Curd is also valued for its high protein content, but for our ancestors, it was also a practical way to preserve food and avoid waste.

The post Sea Buckthorn Curd Cake (Estonian-style) appeared first on Dago Seaberry.