Bake Together:Date And Orange Cornmeal Buttermilk Muffins With Cardamom Streusel Topping
Bake together with Abby Dodge this month is Cornmeal buttermilk muffins. I just want to say that I love participating in this, it is a wonderful way to be creative and as always I have a lot of fun. I used Abby’s basic recipe for Cornmeal Buttermilk muffins (original recipe found by clicking on Abby Dodge above) and added my own touch. My latest obsession is with Medjool dates, the are so soft and creamy and sweet I find myself snacking on them several times a day. Dates and orange and cardamom go together really well so I thought I would incorporate all those wonderful ingredients into these muffins. The muffins contain orange zest and dates and I made a streusel topping flavored with cardamom. NOTE: I also decreased the sugar to 1/4 cup because the dates are so sweet and I made a dozen mini muffins rather than 6 large ones.
For the muffins:
3/4 cup (3 3/8 ounces) all purpose flour
1/3 cup (1 1/3 ounces) finely ground yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 large egg, at room temperature
3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped medjool dates pitted
3/4 cup (3 3/8 ounces) all purpose flour
1/3 cup (1 1/3 ounces) finely ground yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 large egg, at room temperature
3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped medjool dates pitted
1 1/2 tsp orange zest
Streusel Topping
3 tbs flour
2 tbs light brown sugar packed
2 tbs granulated sugar
1/4 tsp cardamom
2 tbs soft butter
Position an oven rack in the center of the oven. Heat oven to 350°F. Line 6 regular-sized muffin cups with paper or foil liners or to make mini muffins 12 liners in 12 cup muffin tin.
Mix the soft butter, flour, sugars and cardamom and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk until well blended. Measure the buttermilk using a 2 cup glass measure, pour buttermilk into blender and add the chopped dates , pulse a few times so that the dates are broken up but still are in small pieces, add back to 2 cup measuring cup. Add the egg, oil, and orange zest and mix with a table fork until well blended. Pour the liquid over the dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold (no stirring) until just blended.
Portion the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups (1/4 cup of batter per cup will be about three-quarters of the way full a little less for mini muffins). Crumble the streusel topping on each muffin. Bake until the tops are pale golden brown and a pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes for larger muffins because mine were smaller it took 15 minutes to bake. Move to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes. Carefully remove the muffins from the pan and set them on a wire rack. Serve immediately or cool completely and stow in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. I like them best when they are served warm so please reheat before serving.
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apuginthekitchen 
I love the combination of dates, orange and cardamom too. It’s wonderful. Thanks for the reminder of Abby’s monthly baketogether. I might want to make yours, though, instead of creating my own 🙂 Have a great week. Still in real estate hell here, but starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe.
Thanks Suzanne, they turned out really good. I love the combination of flavors. I live in Real Estate Hell because thats what I do for a living. I hope you are soon in RE heaven in your new vacation home.
I took a brief detour into selling real estate many years ago, and let’s just say I have IMMENSE respect for anyone in the business. It’s a lot of hard work, weekends, and evenings. I think we’ll get the vacation place taken care of by just finding another rental for another year or so. But we’ve decided to put our house on the market in the fall and have much to do to get it ready. That’s looking like my summer now.
Its so true, I work 7 days a week and my work doesn’t stop when normal business days end, Big step putting your place on the market, how is the RE market where you live? Your summer will be spent cleaning, prepping for showings, depersonalizing, etc etc Best of luck I hope you sell quickly and for the price you want.
It’s a pretty hot market here right now with multiple offers being pretty common. Not sure how long that will last though….
Same in Brooklyn,supply is low demand is high. Most houses go into bidding wars and go over asking price. Best of luck
Your Bake Together segments are so much fun 😀
I love cornmeal muffins but additions like cardamom and oranges must take it to a new level 😀
Look wonderful!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Thank you so much, I also really love cornmeal muffins, and the addition of the orange and dates and cardamom really makes these stand out.
I love your choice of dates and oranges! These muffins sound like perfection. I’m still trying to figure out what to do for bake together this month. You’re ahead of the game!
Thanks so much, I do love the flavors and the Abby’s recipe as always is perfection. I wanted to do it early on while I have the inspiration it can be fleeting. Thanks again
This sounds like a fun new flavour combination 🙂
Thank you so much Leslie, the dates along with the orange are a wonderful combo, I do love medjool dates!
These muffins look terrific, Suzanne! I’m drooling over the flavors you combined and I love anything with a streusel topping. I need to check out Abby’s recipe and ponder some muffins…always a happy task!
Thanks so much Hannah, love Abby’s recipes I also really love a streusel topping!
Just saw your post.. Love Dates.. Love Steusel more! How’s the pup?
Thank you so much Abby, I love both also! Nando is not doing so well. I have to leave him to go to an appt but won’t stay gone long. Rough night!
I love dates and the idea of them in this muffin AND a streusel topping? Sure winner.
Thank you so much Barbara!!
Dates and Cardamon–YUM! I love your version of this recipe, I will print this off as a must try 🙂
Thank you so much Wendy, I really love your lavender peach muffins it’s brilliant!
These look great! I too love medjool dates! Love the orange and cardamon mix too!
Thanks so much I am sort of obsessed with medjool, eat them just about every day.