Soft and moist orange muffins that are bursting with fresh orange flavor and topped with a delicate orange glaze.
Last week, we took a quick trip to San Francisco. It was an unplanned trip, by saying that I mean we had no preparation at all. A quick and kind of impulsive decision. We were actually on the way to Sac as usual and I told Alex that it would be better to go hiking today as the weather was so good. Sun and a little breeze (yeah doubt because it’s summer!). Then he asked me if I wanted to do that in San Francisco, undoubtedly, I said yes.
There was a really nice trail there with so many trees and shades, which is good for hiking. From the top of that trail, we stopped for a while to get the overlook of the Bay area which brought us relaxing and calming feelings. The hiking actually put us in a good mood then we decided to go for a walk down the street until we reached a local market. Everything was fresh. The weather was nice. Mood was good. And we ended up buying a bunch of locally grown oranges and two cups of smoothies. Nothing could get any better than that.
ORANGE MUFFINS
Muffins are one of my favorite breakfasts that I could tell you I could eat very frequently. I usually make muffins with what is in its season for the best of its flavor. I have peanut butter banana chocolate chip muffins, strawberry muffins, blueberry muffins, coconut muffins and I guess the list is still going on with what I brought today. Orange muffins. The sweet and tangy flavor with a delicate orange aroma makes them even better over time.
Making orange muffins is easy and quick and this is why I love muffins. We just need to combine dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in a separate bowl, then mix them together until combined. In the making of muffins, it’s ok to mix all the ingredients as little as possible until they are just combined, then you’re done! By doing that, muffins can remain a soft, tender crumb texture.
SUBSTITUTIONS
You can replace plain yogurt with sour cream with the same amount of them. If you just want to use wholemilk or buttermilk, increase the milk to 1/2 cup. I also found that there is a trick to add in the orange blossom/aroma in addition to the orange juice and zest: use the orange flower water or orange blossom water. Just add half teaspoon of that liquid to the batter and you will smell the scent of fresh orange. However, this is optional and it’s ok if you omit this. I learned this trick while I was still working a part time job in a bakery in Vietnam 🙂
Want to make these muffins better? Pour orange glaze on top of each and serve the day they’re made. Heavenly!
Orange Muffins
Ingredients
For Orange Muffins
- 1 3/4 cups (225g) all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon orange zest (about 1 orange)
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1/2 cup (113g/1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, substitute with neutral oil
- 1/4 cup (60ml) plain yogurt or sour cream
- 1/4 cup (60ml) whole milk
- 1/2 cup (120ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon orange flower water or orange blossom water, optional
For Orange Glaze
- 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
- 1/2 cup (65g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) orange juice
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375ºF/190ºC. Line 12 muffin cups with liner papers or grease well.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt, sugar and orange zest and mix to combine. In another medium bowl, whisk eggs with melted butter, plain yogurt, milk, orange juice, orange flower water and vanilla extract until well combined. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until just combined. Do not over mix. The batter should be thick.
- Divide batter evenly between muffin cups, almost all the way to the top (Tips: you can use the ice cream scoop to scoop out the batter). Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean. Remove from the oven. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the orange glaze: In a small bowl, add sifted powdered sugar, orange zest, orange juice, lemon juice and whisk until thick and pourable consistency. Once muffins have cooled, pour glaze over the tops using a tablespoon, letting it drizzle down the sides.
- Muffins can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and stays frozen for up to 2 months. Serve them at room temperature.
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