Lightly toast shelled pistachios in a 350°F oven for 5-7 minutes before chopping and folding into batter to intensify their rich, nutty flavor and create a more premium bakery taste.

Bring eggs, sour cream, and milk to room temperature before mixing to ensure even incorporation and a tender, moist crumb structure that prevents dense muffins.

Fold ingredients gently until just combined with visible flour streaks remaining—overmixing activates gluten and creates tough, rubbery muffins instead of the desired tender crumb.

The combination of vegetable oil and unsalted butter keeps muffins moist and tender for days; the oil prevents them from drying out while butter provides authentic flavor and structure.

Cool muffins in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely—this prevents condensation from making the bottoms soggy while maintaining the bakery-quality texture.