Pinon Muffins

Similar to the sweet bread muffins found in the US, the piñon muffin is low in sugar by standard. 

Usually served with coffee or tee. Not necessarily a dessert but has enough "pleasant" taste for your enjoyment. See it as a different kind of churro.

You could easily get used to its low sugar content to appreciate it as a breakfast food. Its smooth texture combined with pine nuts and orange aromas will certainly do the trick.

1. Milk should be at room temperature. Separate egg white from yolk.
2. Sift flour with baking powder, add a pinch of salt. Add yolk and milk gradually to avoid lumps. Blend all ingredients.
3. Cover with clean kitchen towel and leave to rest for 1 hour.
4. Preheat oven at 220°C. Mix butter with sugar until it becomes soft and creamy. Beat egg white with pinch of salt until firm.
5. Add creamy butter, orange zest, pine nuts and then egg white to the dough. Mix gently with a rubber or wooden spatula from under to over until it's homogeneous.
6. Butter the muffin pan and fill each mold to 2/3 (1/2 if you want to make more of them). Garnish with some pine nuts.
7. Make sure oven is hot enough. Bake for 5 minutes at 220°C, then lower to 200°C and bake for another 12 minutes.
8. Leave to cool and remove from pan with a baking pin. These muffins can be spread with jam, sprinkled with icing sugar or eaten "natural".

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