Sunny-side up muffins are delightful single-serving desserts, perfect to serve at Easter or for a themed brunch. Making them is very easy and you don’t even need a blender, as the batter is simply mixed by hand. In one bowl the liquid ingredients, in another the dry ingredients, then everything is combined and transferred to the paper cups. They are also ideal to prepare with kids, given their simplicity.
For an extra touch, you can also sprinkle them with chopped pistachios, which give a parsley or chive effect and make this fake sunny-side up egg even more original.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 12 muffins
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 3 oz butter
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 oz hazelnuts
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 pinch salt
- 3 1/2 oz cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 12 canned apricot halves
Steps
To prepare the sunny-side up muffins, preheat the oven to 350°F (static) and line a muffin tin with paper cups.
Cut the butter into cubes and melt it. Set aside.
Finely chop the hazelnuts in a food processor and set aside.
In a bowl, mix the yogurt with the sugar and eggs.
In another bowl, mix the flour with the chopped hazelnuts, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Pour the yogurt and egg mixture into the bowl with the flour and hazelnut mixture and briefly mix, then add the melted butter and incorporate just until no visible traces of flour remain.
Distribute the batter into the paper cups, filling them about 3/4 full.
Bake at 350°F for about 20-25 minutes. Perform the toothpick test.
Remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool completely on a wire rack.
Meanwhile, drain the canned apricots.
In a bowl, combine the cream cheese with the sugar, the grated zest of the previously washed lemon, and the heavy whipping cream. Beat everything with an electric mixer until you obtain a cream, which should have roughly the consistency of whipped cream. Transfer the cream into a piping bag and decorate the surface of your muffins. Pat the canned apricots with some paper towels and place one on each muffin.
Serve your sunny-side up muffins immediately or store them in the fridge until consumption.
Suggestions
You can replace hazelnuts with almonds, walnuts, or pistachios.
The cream cheese can also be replaced with ricotta.
