Recipe Ginger Walnut Muffins With Cream Cheese Icing

Serves up to 8.

This dessert can be prepared ahead of time, cooled, cut, covered, and left at room temperature ready for plating.

Equipment: 20 cm square baking tin, baking paper, sauté pan, scales, measuring cups and spoons, small cutting board and vegetable knife.

Oven: preheat to 200°C

Ingredients:

  • 50 g butter
  • 100 g almond meal
  • 100 g Buderim ginger & coconut bites, chopped
  • 3 tbsp. Buderim Australian ready cut ginger, drained and chopped finely
  • 4 tbsp. (80 ml) honey
  • 2 tsp. Queen ‘Victoria’ concentrated vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp. Murray River salt flakes
  • 1 large free range egg, lightly whisked

Topping

  • 70 g butter
  • 150 g pinenuts
  • 100 g Buderim Naked ginger, finely chopped
  • 5 tbsp. (100 ml) honey
  • 2 tsp. Queen ‘Victoria’ concentrated vanilla extract
  • 3/4 tsp. Murray River salt flakes
  • Double cream or vanilla ice-cream

Method:

  1. Prepare base
    • Line baking tin with a rectangular sheet of baking paper. Ensure paper comes above the edges on two ends to allow the slab to be easily removed after baking.
    • In the sauté pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add base ingredients in order and stir with a wooden spoon after each addition. Add whisked egg last and stir quickly to combine well. Lower heat. The mixture will be a porridge-like consistency.
    • Pour mixture into lined baking tin and spread evenly with back of spoon or palette knife.
    • Place on the centre rack in a pre-heated oven for 12- 15 minutes, until lightly browned.
    • Rinse and dry sauté pan and wooden spoon to use for next steps.
  2. Prepare topping whilst base is baking.
    • Melt butter in sauté pan over low heat. Add all ingredients and stir until well combined, and fluid. Turn off heat.
  3. Spread topping on base and bake
    • Remove base from oven and spread topping evenly over the base, distributing pinenuts into corners. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the top looks toasty.
  4. Remove from oven
    • Place baking tin on rack and allow slab to cool in tin. When ready to serve remove the slab from the tin onto a cutting board, using the baking paper to facilitate. Cut in half and then into quarters- so that you have eight even rectangular dessert bars.
  5. Final assembly
    • Plate a scoop of ice-cream and dollop of double cream alongside the dessert bar. Provide with both a dessert fork and spoon