Good Morning: Nutty Magdalenas

I'm invited to someone's house for lunch.

Quick, what can I bring?
Wine?
Too early in the day.

Hurry, think.

Cake?
I could stop at the bakery, but the bakery is always closed on Mondays.

Next idea.

I was lucky that I was reading David Lebovitz's blog this a.m. because he made these Magdalenas for breakfast.
Magdalenas are traditional Spanish tea cakes, swiped with butter, or not, and eaten with cafe con leche for breakfast in Spain.

I had just enough eggs in the house, but was out of butter.

Save! These cakes use olive oil (instead of butter), so I knew I was in luck.

I whipped these up in no time.

David adds nuts to these little cakes. I didn't even bother to grind the nuts, I just chopped them up and threw them in, since I was in a hurry.

These were so easy, and they baked up in 15 minutes time.
My oven runs a bit hot. David says to bake them at 400F, but I decided 375F was enough for me. They were perfect.

You can use any nuts you like. He uses hazelnuts and almonds. I used pistachios and almonds.

Delicious with or without butter.

David's Magdalenas w/ Nuts: (makes 12 muffins)

3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup toasted almonds or hazelnuts (skins removed after toasting)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
pinch of salt
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons  mild-flavored olive oil
1/4 cup mixed chopped nuts, such as almonds, hazelnuts or pistachios, for sprinkling

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Line muffin tins with paper liners.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, whip the eggs and sugar on high speed until very light and doubled in volume, 3 to 5 minutes (or use your good old wooden spoon & some muscle, like I did!).

3. Grind the toasted almonds or hazelnuts and salt in a food processor until the nuts are finely ground up, similar in texture to very coarse polenta.

4. When the eggs are fully whipped, drizzle in the olive oil while the mixer in running at medium-high speed, in a slow, steady stream, stopping the mixer midway to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

5. By hand, stir in the flour mixture just until it’s completely incorporated. Fill the paper muffin cups halfway full with the batter. (I used a spring-loaded ice cream scoop, like David recommends).

6. Bake the cakes 15 minutes or just until the centers feel lightly set when you press one.

These were best served warm, but they will stay fresh in an airtight container for 2 days, if they last that long!

Enjoy! and we did.