Whole Orange Muffins

During my days off, before beginning my next set of shifts, I often bake something for Colin and me to take in our lunches.  This week Colin requested muffins and asked if I could get my mother’s recipe for fibre rich, orange muffins.  The recipe includes a whole orange, peel and all, that is blended with the other wet ingredients.  The blending incorporates air which makes for a great texture.  The recipe also offers versatility as any fruit or nuts of your liking can be added. For the dry ingredients any combination of flours/grains will work, I added wheat bran and ground flax to this specific recipe.  Colin likes raisins so I used them in both the wet ingredients and folded a handful into the completed batter.   Because every orange you use will be different in size and sweetness these muffins will be slightly different each time you make them.  This batch for instance, only made 10 muffins, when only last week I made the same recipe and got a full 12.

Orange Muffins:

1 whole orange, washed and cut into chunks

½ cup orange juice

½ cup oil

½ cup raisins or chopped dates

2 eggs

1 ¾ combination of any flour/grains (I used ¼ ground flax; ½ wheat bran; ½ whole wheat flour; and ½ all purpose flour)

¾ cup sugar (I used coconut)

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

½ cup raisins

Preheat oven to 400.

Place the whole orange pieces and orange juice in a blender and purée. 

Add the oil, raisins, and eggs and blend to combine.

In a separate bowl combine your chosen flours and grains.Add the sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Whisk to combine. 

Fold the wet ingredients into the dry.

Fold in the raisins or other desired fruit.

Spoon about ½ cup batter in to lined or greased muffin tin.

Bake 20 minutes at 400. 

Remove from oven and allow to cool in muffin tin for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.