Sticky Date Muffins with Mandarin Butterscotch & White Chocolate Sour-Cream Frosting
Deeply moist, buttery date muffins gently spiced with cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg, soaked while warm with a sticky mandarin butterscotch sauce.
Makes 10 generously sized or 12 standard muffins.
Ingredients
For the date muffins
250 g pitted Medjool dates, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 cup boiling water
150 g brown sugar, loosely packed
100 g salted butter, softened
2 eggs, at room temperature
1½ cups plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg
For the mandarin butterscotch sauce
½ cup salted butter
1 cup brown sugar
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 mandarin
1 cup thickened cream
1 teaspoon salt
For the white chocolate sour-cream frosting
100 g white chocolate, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup icing sugar, + a little extra to adjust consistency
2 tablespoons sour cream
1–2 tablespoons fresh mandarin juice, as needed
Finely grated mandarin zest, to finish
Method
1. Prepare the oven and muffin tray
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan-forced.
Line a muffin tray with 10 cases for very large muffins or 12 cases for standard-sized muffins.
I personally think 10 gives the perfect size for a generous, rich and satisfying muffin.
2. Soften the dates
Place the chopped dates in a heatproof bowl and sprinkle over the bicarbonate of soda.
Pour over the boiling water and leave the mixture to stand for 10 minutes.
3. Cream the butter and sugar
Place the softened butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl.
Beat for 3–4 minutes, until the mixture becomes thick, pale and fluffy. Give this step the time it deserves, it creates the soft, buttery foundation of the muffins.
4. Add the eggs
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing on low to medium speed for no more than approximately 10 seconds after each addition.
We are not trying to whip the eggs.
5. Add the dry ingredients
Add the plain flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg.
Mix briefly, until only partially combined.
6. Add the dates
Return to your date mixture and using a potato masher or fork, mash the softened dates and water together until the mixture resembles soupy consistency. Pour in the slightly cooled date mixture.
Mix gently but thoroughly until the batter is even and no dry pockets of flour remain. You do not need to fold it delicately, but avoid beating it aggressively or continuing once everything is properly combined.
7. Fill and bake
Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cases.
For 10 large muffins, bake for approximately 20–25 minutes. If making 12 smaller muffins, begin checking them at the 18-minute mark.
The muffins should rise generously, and a skewer inserted into the centre should emerge clean or with only a few moist crumbs attached.
8. Make the mandarin butterscotch
While the muffins bake, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Add the brown sugar, mandarin juice and zest. Stir to combine.
Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a slow, steady simmer. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce looks smoother and less grainy.
Slowly pour in the cream; the mixture may sputter and steam.
Stir until combined, return to a gentle simmer and cook for another 3–4 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the salt, remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the sauce to cool slightly.
9. Soak the warm muffins
As soon as the muffins leave the oven, use a chopstick to poke several deep holes across each surface.
The holes should be larger than skewer holes so the butterscotch can properly travel into the muffins.
Slowly spoon the warm sauce over each muffin, allowing it time to soak through before adding another round. Continue until the tops are glossy, sticky and generously saturated.
Leave the muffins to cool completely before frosting.
10. Make the frosting
Place the white chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl. Melt gently in short bursts in the microwave, stirring between each one, or place the bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water.
Stir until completely smooth, then leave it to cool until barely warm but still fluid.
Beat the sifted icing sugar, sour cream and mandarin juice with the melted white chocolate mixture.
For a thicker frosting, add more sifted icing sugar. For a softer frosting, add a little more sour cream or mandarin juice.
Refrigerate until cold, it will firm up well.
11. Frost and finish
Make absolutely certain that the muffins and butterscotch are completely cool. I like to refrigerate the muffin for at least an hour. Warm muffins will melt the frosting and send it sliding down the sides.
Dollop the white chocolate sour-cream frosting over each muffin.
Finish with a generous grating of fresh mandarin zest.
Sofia’s Notes
For a warm banana and date variation, use 180 g Medjool dates and 100 g very ripe banana in the spiced muffin base. Replace the mandarin in both the butterscotch and frosting with vanilla bean paste for a rich, cosy combination.
Dried apricots or figs are also beautiful here. Use 280 g finely chopped dried apricots or figs in place of the dates, soak them in the boiling water and bicarbonate of soda, then follow the remaining method.
