Dandelion Black Walnut Muffins--A Recipe

Every April our yard explodes with dandelions.  For several weeks they are everywhere.  Then suddenly at the end of May we are left with a field of fluffy dandelion seed heads and only a few blooming dandelions scattered here and there.  This year, with a newborn on site, we nearly missed our easy gather opportunity--in the past we've made dandelion muffins on a weekly basis in the springtime.

But on this cold and blustery weekend, Yub Yub and I collected what we could scavenge of the remaining dandelions, and the whole family hauled out the black walnuts from the basement and got cracking.

To make this recipe, separate dandelion petals from their green base--you want very little green, and the petals should be loose and individual--like soft yellow fluff.

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 cup yogurt--plain or vanilla
1 egg
1/4 cup melted butter (1/2 stick) or 1/4  cup oil
1 to 2 cups dandelion petals
1 cup black walnuts (regular walnuts can be substituted)
 

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Grease muffin tins.
• Mix flour, salt, and baking powder in large mixing bowl.
• Add maple syrup, egg, and yogurt.  Mix well.
• Add butter or oil.  Mix.
• Add dandelion petals and black walnuts.  Mix well. Separate clumps of dandelion petals.
• Pour into muffin tins.  Bake 10 to 14 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Makes one dozen.