Ricotta muffins

Original recipe from: smittenkitchen
Oven temp = 350

Ricotta muffins
1/2 cup (2 ounces) walnuts or pecans
2 tsp fennel seeds
3 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbs plus 1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup (4 ounces) ricotta cheese
6 Tbs sour cream

Toast nuts on a baking sheet in oven for about 10 minutes. Chop when cooled. In a saute pan, toast fennel seeds for a few minutes until fragrant. Grind fennel seeds in a spice grinder.

Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, ground fennel seeds, yogurt and oil. Pipe a small layer of the muffin batter into the bottom of the greased muffin/cupcake tins using either an icing piping bag or a plastic baggie with the corner cut off -- this should fill about 1/3 of each well.

Mix the ricotta cheese and sour cream together and spoon a heaping teaspoon into each 1/3 filled muffin well. Pipe another layer of muffin batter over the top of the ricotta filling, making sure to completely cover the filling with batter. These muffins will rise significantly, so avoid overfilling the muffin tins. Sprinkle the toasted and chopped nuts over the top of the muffins and bake at 350 degrees for about 28 minutes until lightly browned.