“He was thinking of her, of her oddity and composure. Wondering what she was doing on this long hot evening at the end of her wild-rose lane. Did she still have callers, was she still busy solving the problems of people's lives? Or did she go out and sit on the swing, and creak back and forth, with no company but the rising moon?” - Alice Munro, from “Powers,” Runaway: Stories.
I will always love things I no longer desire to look at. Time, they say, heals it. But I don’t think so, I rather think time exposes it. It itches and scratches and peels the surface back. I see myself as the proud owner of several different skins. Some, more fashionable than others. But then I go to him and he tells me that it’s best to keep twisting this body into new contortions, no matter how tight or tiresome, than to find redemption in what was lost, stolen.
I wonder how long I can keep getting away with it.
It wasn’t like how you recall, he says. No mind, I say, I’ll still blame you. The thought of a stranger walking around with the last soft part of you. See that divot here, it forms a constellation. I don’t know what else he expected.
I tried to decide which rendition of these to share but I couldn’t so I won’t. There’s lemon curd and caramelised white chocolate, as well as a roasted balsamic strawberry kind, that’s also punctured with sweet white chocolate but without sacrificing any caramelisation as it comes through in the vinegar. But I also know that you can experiment, tailoring the recipe to your tastes of the season. Now, I’m in Spring, and aren’t I just so full of life and brightness, but I want to taint these for Winter – nuts, spices, roasted pears, dark chocolate, and the like.
For the muffins
115 g (1/2 cup / 1 stick) unsalted butter (cubed), 215 g (1 ¾ cups) all-purpose flour, 45 g (1/2 cup) almond meal, ¾ teaspoon baking powder, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 125 g (1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons) granulated sugar, zest from a lemon, 180 ml (3/4 cup) buttermilk, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, for the balsamic strawberry variation: 350 g roasted strawberries (recipe below), 115 g (2/3 cup) white chocolate (chopped) or for the lemon curd variation: 110 g (1/3 cup) lemon curd, 85 g (1/2 cup) caramelised white chocolate (chopped), a handful of streusel (recipe below)
Pre-heat the oven to 180 C (350 F). Prepare a 6-hole muffin pan with paper liners.
Put the butter into a saucepan. Heat over medium-low, stirring often, until melted. Set aside to cool.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, almond meal, baking powder, soda and salt. Stir through the sugar and zest until distributed then use a wooden spoon to form a deep well in the center of the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg and vanilla extract. Stream the wet ingredients into the cavity of the dry ingredients, then fold, softly, until almost combined. Some floury pockets should remain.
For the balsamic strawberry variation, fold through the roasted strawberries and white chocolate. Fill the muffin liners 2/3rd’s of the way full with batter, then cover with an even amount of streusel.
For the lemon curd variation, fold through the caramelised white chocolate chunks. Fill the muffin liners 2/3rd’s of the way full with batter, then evenly dint in the lemon curd and cover with streusel.
Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, rotating halfway through, until golden. A skewer inserted into the middle should come out clean. Leave until the muffins are cool enough to handle then transfer to a rack to cool further. Serve warm or at room temperature, soon after.
For the roasted strawberries
500 g (1.1 pounds) strawberries, 75 g (1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon) granulated sugar, 60 ml (1/4 cup) balsamic vinegar
Pre-heat the oven to 190 C (375 F). Clean, hull, then halve the strawberries, placing them into a bowl along with the sugar and vinegar. Toss to coat. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until slumped, sticky, and some darkened colour has begun to affect the flesh of the fruit. Let cool before use.
For the streusel
85 g (2/3 cup) all-purpose flour, 25 g (1/4 cup) almond meal, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, a pinch of salt, 75 g (1/3 cup) unsalted butter (cubed and cold), 30 g (1/4 cup) chopped blanched almonds (optional)
Mix together the flour, almond meal, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Toss through the butter, then use your fingers to rub it into the dry ingredients until a finely-clumped mixture has formed. Stir through the almonds, if using. You’ll need about half of this recipe to finish the muffins. Seal and freeze the rest for up to 2 months.
