Eyeing off a pile of oranges in my fruits bowl, I felt inspired to make something with them. The longer I bake, the more I’m convinced that citrus flavours are my favourite for baking and cooking. These muffins are delightfully simple and quick; an easy option to whip up for morning tea or brunch on a Sunday morning. They’re also a great way to use up excess oranges. This recipe makes 16 smallish or 12 large muffins.
Ingredients:
- 1 whole orange (rind and fruit)
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup dried dates (about 12)
- 1 egg**
- 1/8 cup margarine, plus 1 tablespoon margarine
- 3/4 cup wholemeal flour (I didn’t have any wholemeal flour so I used all plain white)
- 3/4 cup plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup sugar
Cut the orange into at least 8 pieces, remove the seeds and place into a blender with the orange juice.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar.
To the flour mix, add the orange puree and stir until just combined; don’t over-work the batter.
Grease or line 12 muffin cups (or more if you wish to make smallish muffins) and fill them 2/3 of the way up.
Bake at 205° for 15 minutes, checking with a tester to see when they’re done.
**I had 2 egg yolks I wanted to use up so I put them in this recipe instead of 1 whole egg. It made no difference to the final product and solved my usual dilemma of how to use up excess egg yolks!
A Tale of Two Kitchens 