Blueberry Orange Muffin

To quote some Muffin lover “Oh Muffin! Our life together was so short". This applies to every person who loves to eat Muffins. They are gone as soon as they are served and the last bite always leaves us craving for more.

I love eating Muffins and I just can’t stop myself from having one of these heavenly pieces of happiness. It is a blessing that I have learnt how to bake them from scratch and can enjoy them whenever I want. Baking a Muffin is the simplest of all baking tasks. It is not only tasty but also crowd pleasing. So, today I thought I should share this amazing and simple recipe with you.

I started my baking adventures with Bread but I think I have always been attracted to the idea of baking desserts. Whether you call it a snack or a breakfast, its sweetness never fails to make you happy. Muffins come in a variety of flavors which  makes it exciting to choose at a bakery. Picking one to eat, unfolding the wrapper and break a piece of it. It almost feels like I am opening a little piece of treasure.

But why go to the bakery when it is so easy to prepare it at home. The preparation of the batter is so simple it doesn’t even need a Stand Mixer. All you need is a Whisk, a Spatula and a Scoop. The ingredients for baking Muffin are simple. We usually have Flour, Eggs, Sugar and Fruits in our pantry. Yes, you will need a Muffin Tray and Paper Cups but hey! they are not so expensive and the cups will last you for several batches.

So, what is the purpose of a Muffin Tray and Cups? Primarily they are used to provide shape to the Muffins. They also give you an idea of how much batter should be filled in each, thus keeping them uniform in size. Plus it is so much easier to remove the hot baked Muffin from the pan and to clean it. They can even make it easier to carry the Muffins to a party. The Muffin cups come in different sizes, colors and designs so it’s fun to choose cups based on occasion, like a birthday theme cup for a birthday party. The can be found in any grocery store in the baking aisle.

I use a Kitchen Aid muffin tray but you can find other good brands as well. It is better to use a non-stick and dishwasher safe tray for easier cooking and cleaning purposes. It is better to go with a trusted brand because of consistent heating. Cheaper pans do not provide consistent heat, especially if you are not baking a full batch. In other words, if you miscalculate the quantity and are left with a few empty cups in the tray, the baking could be inconsistent. Remember, if there are empty cups in the tray and you have already greased them, filling the empty cups with water can help stabilize the heat and help in an easier clean up. Good quality baking trays cool down quickly as well. This helps me to use the same tray to bake multiple batches. Once the hot muffins are out of the oven keep them for a minute or two in the tray then remove them carefully using two spoons and place them on a cooling rack.

I think baking muffins is so much fun that it can be a family activity. You can ask someone to make the juice or to grate the skin of orange. You can ask the kids to mix the batter, they will love it. It is fun to see everyone drooling around the oven waiting patiently for the Muffins to get baked. It is the simple ingredients of this recipe which makes it so easy to bake at home rather than buying from a store. Of course it has health advantages as well. When we prepare something at home we use the freshest ingredients and we never add any preservatives because we don’t want to store them for a long time. When we buy them from the local bakery we get added preservatives which are not very good for our health in the long run. So hey! Why compromise when it is so simple? Another health benefit, not usually available in stores and bakeries, can be achieved by substituting the sugar with a zero calorie sweetener like Truvia which works pretty well.

I love baking Muffins for family and friends. They taste so good that I have hardly ever had any leftovers. However, if you do have any you can keep them in the fridge covered or in a container and they will be good for 2-3 days.

If you are making a fruity muffin, for example orange – cranberry, it is better to use freshly squeezed juice or zest from a real fruit. Although, I personally prefer to use one of my favorite bottled juice. It does not make a huge different in taste, it is convenient, saves a lot of time and I love drinking the leftover juice in breakfast. If you want to be adventurous you can even make Mimosa, your choice.

After reading from some online blogs, I tried freezing the muffin batter for a longer reuse period. However, after defrosting and baking I found out that it didn’t taste the same as a fresh batter. The muffins came out comparatively dry and didn’t taste fresh. So I will not recommend freezing the batter. Bake fresh muffins and express your love.

“The best things in life are Sweet”

Ingredients:

• All Purpose Flour - 2 Cups
• Sugar – ¾ Cup (I used Truvia)
• Baking Powder – 1 Teaspoon  
• Baking Soda – ½ Teaspoon  
• Salt – ½ Teaspoon  
• Fresh Blueberries- 1 Cup, Washed and Chopped
• Egg - 1
• Orange Juice – ¾ Cup 
• Vegetable Oil – ¼ Cup 
• Grated Orange Rind – 1 Teaspoon (Grate the skin not the white part)

Others:

• Muffin Tray
• Muffin Cups
• Spray Oil – for greasing

Directions:

• In a bowl, combine all the dry ingredients (Flour, Sugar, Baking Powder, Baking Soda and Salt)
• Stir in the Blueberries.
• In a different bowl, beat the Egg, Orange Juice, Oil and Orange Rind.
• Add to the dry ingredients all at once.
• Stir just to moisten.
• Preheat the oven to 400F.
• Prepare the muffin baking tray - arrange muffin cups on them and grease them with Oil.
• Fill the muffin batter into the cups using a spoon or scoop. Fill up to ¾ full.
• Sprinkle the tops of the cups lightly with a bit of sugar.
• Bake in the pre-heated oven for 15-16 minutes until they are light brown in color and firm to the touch.
• If you are baking multiple batches using only one muffin tray, let the hot muffins cool for a minute or two before removing them from the tray and putting them on a cooling rack.
• Enjoy these scrumptious Muffins with a cup of Coffee and breakfast.

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