Pineapple and Walnut Muffins

Chocolate Cream Pie Murder

## Ingredients

**The Batter**

* 1 cup crushed pineapple, drained ***(measure AFTER draining and patting dry)***
* 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
* 1 cup white ***(granulated)*** sugar
* ¾ cup salted butter ***(1 and ½ sticks, 6 ounces)***
* 2 beaten eggs ***(just whip them up in a glass with a fork)***
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* ½ teaspoon salt
* ½ teaspoon cinnamon
* 2 cups all-purpose flour ***(pack it down in the cup when you measure it)***
* ½ cup whole milk
* ½ cup finely chopped walnuts ***(measure AFTER chopping)***

**Crumb Topping**

* ½ cup white ***(granulated)*** sugar
* ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
* ¼ cup salted butter ***(½ stick, 2 ounces)*** softened to room temperature

## Directions

**The Batter**

* Preheat oven to 375°F, rack in the middle position.
* Grease the **bottoms only** of a 12-cup muffin pan ***(or line the cups with double cupcake papers—that's what I do at The Cookie Jar).***
* If you haven't done so already, put the crushed pineapple in a strainer with a small bowl underneath it. Press it down with the back of a mixing spoon, trying to get out as much juice as you can.
* Pour the drained juice in a refrigerator container and save it for someone who likes to drink pineapple juice.
* Once you've completely drained your pineapple, measure out 1 cup of pineapple and place it in a small bowl.
* Sprinkle the crushed, drained pineapple with 1 Tablespoon of the all-purpose flour. Then mix the flour with the pineapple ***(The flour will help you soak up any moisture left in your crushed pineapple.)***
* Get out a medium-size mixing bowl and a wooden spoon if you intend to make this recipe by hand, but you can use an electric stand mixer or a hand-held mixer from this point on if you wish.
* Place the white ***(granulated)*** sugar in teh bottom of the mixing bowl.
* Add the softened, salted butter and mix it with the sugar. Mix until the ingredients are light and fluffy.
* Add the eggs, mixing them in thoroughly until they are well incorporated.
* Sprinkle in the baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Mix them in thoroughly.
* Add HALF of the all-purpose flour to a mixing bowl and mix it in with HALF of the whole milk.
* Add the remaining flour and the remaining milk. Mix until everything is thoroughly blended.
* Mix in the crushed pineapple and the finely chopped walnuts by hand.
* Fill the muffin cups three-quarters full and set them aside. If you have batter left over, grease the bottom of a small tea bread loaf pan and fill it with your remaining batter.

**Crumb Topping**

* Mix the sugar and the flour in a small bowl. Add the butter and cut it in until it's crumbly. ***(You can also do this in a food processor with chilled butter and the steel blade by processing in an on-and-off motion.)***

**Hannah's Note: If your topping isn't crumbly enough, just put it in a plastic bag and stick it in the freezer of your refrigerator for 5 minutes or so. That should be enough to make it crumble in your fingers.**

* Fill the remaining space in the muffin cups with the crumb topping. Then bake the muffins in a 375°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes. ***(The tea bread should bake about 10 minutes longer than the muffins.)***
* When your muffins are baked, set the muffin pan on a wire rack to cool for at least 30 minutes. ***(The muffins need to cool in the pan for easy removal.)*** Then just tip them out of the cups and enjoy.

***These are wonderful when then they're slightly warm, but they're also good cold.***

Yield: 12 muffins and perhaps a tea bread.