Orange Muffins - Yummy!

[piratesmate]

I found a recipe for Orange Muffins that sounded great, but failed to note the source. :( I thought I'd gotten it here, but couldn't find it via "search". So if this is your recipe, I apologize, but it's too good not to share!! :D :D

ORANGE MUFFINS

1 orange
1/3 c fresh orange juice
1 egg
1/4 c unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 c flour
3/4 c sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 c raisins (If using craisins, soak first!!!)

Grate rind from orange. Remove skin and pith and any large white pieces from orange. Cut orange into 6-8 sections, remove seeds. In blender, blend rind, orange, juice, butter & egg until soupy with butter in little bits. Toss in raisins & blend 2 - 3 seconds. Pour into mixing bowl. Sift together flour, sugar, powder, soda & salt. Combine with wet ingredients - combine only, do not mix or beat. Pour into greased muffin tins. (I use cupcake papers instead.) Bake at 400 for 15 - 18 min. Yield: 12

****NOTE: The first time I tried these, I didn't have a fresh orange. I used 1 1/2 tsp orange rind & an additional 1/3 cup orange juice instead. They turned out fine.

The second time I tried them I did have the fresh orange and I noticed that the amount of butter was probably too much (at least for us!) You could see the grease on the cupcake papers. So today, I cut back to 1/8 cup & then used a really light olive besides. They turned out fine & taste the same, but more muffin stuck to the papers than I like. We just scraped it off with a fork, but I don't think I'll cut back again if I'm using the oil.

One last adjustment . . . in many recipes the amount of sugar given can be cut in half without being able to taste the difference or affecting the texture. This morning I cut the sugar back to a scant half cup. I wouldn't go any lower than that.

I hope you like these as much as we do! :D :D :D

Deb

[Beth E. (NJ)]

These do sound yummy! Thanks for sharing the recipe. :D

[*Robin*]

Deb, my Dad loves Orange and chocolate, would these be good with maybe a dark chocolate drizzle over the top, or some other way to add just a bit of chocolate? Maybe a bit of cocoa in the mix? Just wondering...these do sound really good!
:):):)

[piratesmate]

Oh, Robin - now you've gotten me started! ;) My all time favorite candy - and maybe food in general - is chocolate covered orange peel!! Dark chocolate! Mmmmmmm

I hadn't thought about putting chocolate in it before. What if you replaced the raisins with mini chocolate chips? I'll bet that would be good. (I never use the raisins, though - always craisins or plain.

I've never made muffins that had chocolate drizzled over the top, so it's kind of hard to judge that one . . . . but I don't think they were sweet enough for that. Maybe if you used the full amount of sugar??

Let me know if you try this. DS really doesn't like cranberry, so I fill 1/4 of the tins with the batter before adding the craisins for him. He loved chocolate, though - so maybe that's an idea for him.

I have to make these again in the AM, now. ;)

[*Robin*]

I love craisins!!! :) they are a staple around here...that I have to try! I'll try these in the next few days...and see how they do. I have to find some good chocolate too. It seems like I'm just completely in the mood for baking and soups lately...I wish I had an extra freezer...the neighbors and the teachers at school are beginning to think I have adopted them!:rolleyes: :)

Thanks for the input...I'm wondering if I have to up the sugar though because the chocolate will be sweet...what do you think? I wasn't going to make them with raisins anyway, I'm not a big raisin fan. By the way, have you tried the cherry craisins? I heard they are really good...it's just a flavor, not a cherry from what I understand...so you get like a cran cherry...what do you think about that with this?

I'm a huge muffin fan...soooo good in the winter on an early morning!! :):)

Thank you!!! :)