Moist almond muffins with tvorog (farmers cheese) and banana are an elegant dessert that instantly fills your home with the cozy aroma of nuts and ripe fruit. In this recipe, a classic farmers cheese bake is transformed with the addition of kumquat, or 'golden orange,' which gives the batter a noble citrus freshness and a subtle zest. Almond flour makes the texture of these muffins uniquely tender and crumbly, while the golden crumb topping offers a satisfying crunch with every bite. This is the perfect choice for a festive table or a heartwarming tea party when you want to surprise your guests with something more original than an ordinary cupcake.
Golden muffins with a crunchy almond topping and a tender interior make the perfect dessert for tea time.
Ingredients
- 1 medium banana
- 5 kumquats
- 1 lemon
- 1 large egg
- 130 g (4.5 oz) tvorog (farmers cheese)
- 150 g (5.3 oz) granulated sugar
- 80 g (2.8 oz) odorless olive oil
- 100 g (3.5 oz) almond flour
- 80 g (2.8 oz) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 30 g (1 oz) sliced almonds
- 30 g (1 oz) butter
- Pinch of salt
How to Make Almond, Banana, and Farmers Cheese Muffins
Mash a very ripe banana with a fork. Add sliced kumquats. If you do not have kumquats, substitute with two small, thin-skinned mandarins.
Mashed banana and bright kumquat create a juicy and aromatic base for the batter.
Crack in a large egg.
Add one large egg to bind all the ingredients together.
Add soft, full-fat farmer’s cheese to the fruit mixture. Important note: if your farmers cheese has a tangy flavor, I recommend adding about 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda to the batter to neutralize the acidity.
Farmers cheese makes the muffins more satisfying and gives them a wonderfully moist texture.
Pour in the granulated sugar. Add light olive oil; any neutral-tasting vegetable oil will work perfectly.
Use olive oil or any other neutral-tasting vegetable oil for a perfectly moist texture.
Finely grate the zest of a whole lemon and squeeze the juice from one half. Make sure to rinse the lemon with boiling water and wash it thoroughly beforehand.
Lemon zest and fresh juice will add brightness to the baked goods and perfectly balance the sweetness of the banana.
Use an immersion blender to process the wet ingredients until perfectly smooth. Rub a little bit of the mixture between your fingers—when the sugar crystals have completely dissolved, it is ready.
Blend the mixture thoroughly until completely smooth, ensuring no large sugar crystals remain in the batter.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, and baking powder. Reserve a little almond flour for the topping. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, add the sliced almonds, and gently mix the batter. At this stage, you can flavor the batter with vanilla or almond extract.
The combination of all-purpose and almond flour with sliced nuts creates a remarkably rich flavor.
Divide the batter among paper muffin liners, filling each about 2/3 full.
Fill the paper liners two-thirds of the way to leave enough room for the muffins to rise while baking.
Mix one tablespoon of sugar, one tablespoon of almond flour, and the butter, rubbing it with your fingers into coarse crumbs. Sprinkle about a teaspoon of this topping evenly over the surface of each muffin.
A special crumb mixture of butter and almond flour will transform into a crispy top layer.
Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius (340 degrees Fahrenheit). Place the baking sheet with the muffins into the hot oven. Bake until golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. The exact baking time depends on the size of your molds and your oven’s characteristics. It may vary slightly from the recipe. I check for doneness with my finger: if you gently press the top of a muffin and the top springs back, they are baked through.
Bake until golden brown. Check for doneness with a gentle press—the muffin should spring back.
Remove the finished almond muffins with farmers cheese and banana from the oven, let them rest briefly in their molds, and then serve. To highlight their rich flavor, try making a delicate honey butter: simply whip high-quality butter with liquid honey in equal proportions until pale and fluffy. This addition will turn a casual snack into a true restaurant-style breakfast, especially if you serve the muffins warm. If you want to experiment, try replacing the kumquat with dried cherries or dark chocolate chunks—the almond base pairs beautifully with a wide variety of mix-ins. It is best to store these muffins in an airtight container to help them retain their signature moisture. They taste even better the next day when the aromas of banana and almond fully meld into a harmonious bouquet.
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