Wild Rice Muffins

Our next recipe from our Chef Xavier is Wild Rice Muffins. Since we’re all spending more time at home, our Executive Chef is keeping the recipes coming. He has put together a unique recipe for muffins with wild rice and hazelnuts. Here’s a note straight from the Chef on his recipe:

“Today we are going to change gears. Over the last month I have really started to dive into getting better with recipes that were not my strong suit. I like baking but it’s less forgiving than cooking. If I add too much of one ingredient to a sauce or a dish I’m making, I can fix that and usually save the dish. With baking if you add too much of something or not enough of something you will have to throw it away or it will not taste as good or look like you had intended. In a nutshell, baking is less forgiving than cooking. So, with all this extra time on my hands I have been practicing and honing my baking skills. I want to share with you a recipe that I came across that was not only delicious but unique!”

Ingredients:

Servings: 12 muffins

• 3/4 cup wild rice
• 1/2 cup hazelnuts
• 4 oz. unsalted butter, melted
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. kosher salt

Directions: 

1. In a medium saucepan, cover the wild rice with 1″ of water. Cover the saucepan and simmer the wild rice over moderately low heat until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and let cool.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 12-cup muffin pan. 
3. In a pie plate, toast the hazelnuts in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until the skins blister. Transfer the nuts to a kitchen towel and rob off the skins. Finely chop the nuts. Raise the oven temp to 425 degrees.
4. In a medium bowl, beat the butter with the eggs and the sugar. Stir in the cooked wild rice, the onion and the hazelnuts until combined.
5. In another medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and kosher salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the wild rice mixture just until incorporated.  
6. Fill the muffin cups two thirds of the way with the batter and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the muffins are golden brown. 
7. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 2 minutes and then unmold and transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Recommendations from the Chef

“I know these aren’t what you think of when you think muffins. These are more on the savory side, which I love because it doesn’t paint you into just a breakfast or dessert corner. These will be a great side kick to any meal. Replace biscuits, croissants, or dinner rolls with these muffins and you won’t miss them one bit. I hope that you try this recipe and it is enjoyable for you and your families, as always happy cooking and stay safe and healthy.”

Look Forward to More Recipes from Our Executive Chef

Since our facility is closed during the COVID-19 crisis, we’re bringing our delicious catering to you! Chef Xavier is sharing some of his favorite recipes that you can enjoy with your families. Check back on our blog for more coming soon!

If you want to go one step further, you can even share your meal on our Facebook page. We’d love to see how these recipes are turning out for you all!