Orange Poppyseed Muffins

This is a follow up to my extremely popular Apple Pie Muffin recipe.  In that post I discuss the David Wood Cookbook and how many wonderful dishes from that publication have become staples in my home.

Our Backyard Tree

Living in San Diego, every winter we SoCal residents luxuriate in bucket loads of citrus that grow in our backyard.  Therefore, I set out to find varied and delicious recipes that utilize this citrus wonder.  Beautiful bright orange globes, the color of a summer sunset, are plentiful and a stones throw away from my patio door.  They’re seedless, juicy and sweet with nuances of a sour tang.

These simple, light yet rich muffins are the perfect start to your day, or a swift pick me up with your afternoon tea or coffee.  This recipe employs a technique borrowed from cake making - creaming the butter and sugar first and then adding each egg separately.  However, the flour is hand mixed in to keep the muffins light.  This may be their secret to success.

Orange Poppy Seed Muffins

12 large or 16 medium 

Ingredients

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• zest of two oranges
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1/4 cup poppy seeds (the original recipe uses 1/2 cup which I found to be a bit much)

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F.  Line a 12 cup muffin pan with papers or grease and flour.

2. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and smooth.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

3. Mix the baking soda with the buttermilk.  Hand mix in the sifted flour and salt with the butter mixture, alternating with buttermilk mixture.

4.  Mix in orange zest, orange juice and poppy seeds.  Scoop into prepared muffin cups and bake for 25-30 minutes until springy and lightly golden.