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| falafel muffins (Photo credit: seelensturm) |
Garbanzo flour, ground from dried chickpeas and therefore also known as chickpea flour, is a staple in the Mediterranean and Middle East, where it is used to make flatbreads, fritters, and savory pancakes. It is also an ingredient in the breads and pancakes made by Indian cooks. The flour has a distinctive and very appealing, naturally sweet flavor. It may be difficult to find on supermarket shelves. If this is the case, look for it in natural-foods stores or in Indian markets, where it is sometimes labeled besan.
A little more patience in buying garbanzo flour will bring about a delicious taste to this tomato and goat cheese muffins. Every hardship will really be paid off once you tasted the true taste of garbanzo flour in your muffins.
TOMATO AND GOAT CHEESE MUFFINS
You will need:
6 tablespoons (3 oz/90 g) unsalted butter
4 stalks green (spring) onions,
including 1 inch (2.5 cm) of the tender green parts, finely chopped
2 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 oz/235 g) all-purpose (plain) flour
1 cup (4 1/2 oz/140 g) garbanzo flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups (10 fl oz/310 ml) milk
2 large eggs
3 oz (90 g) fresh white goat cheese, divided into 10 equal portions
2 plum (Roma) tomatoes, halved lengthwise, then each half cut into 3 chunks
Here's how:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease 10 standard muffin cups with butter or butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray; fill the unused cups one-third full with water to prevent warping.
In a small frying pan over low heat, melt the butter. Add the green onions and saute' until almost translucent, 1-2 minutes. Stir in the basil. Remove from the heat and set aside.
In a bowl, stir together the all-purpose and garbanzo flours, baking powder, and salt.
In another bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs until blended. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, then pour in the milk mixture and the butter mixture. Stir just until evenly moistened, using no more than 15-20 strokes. The batter will be thick and lumpy.
Spoon the batter into each muffin cup, filling it half full. Shape each portion of goat cheese around and set it in the center of the muffin batter. Place 1 or 2 tomato chunks on top of the cheese and gently press into the batter. Cover the cheese and tomato with batter until level with the rim of the cup.
Bake until golden, dry, and springy to the touch, 18-22 minutes. Do not overbake. To check the muffins, carefully lift a muffin from the pan; the sides should be browned. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Unmold the muffins. Serve warm at room temperature.
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