Orange and Raspberry Muffins

We are on Spring Break. Which means no Sunday meal plan post this week...unless you can count a couple of restaurant reservations. Instead, I present....MUFFINS! Delicious, cheerful, muffins. In honor of our trip to a warmer climate and also for those of you who could use a little sunshine, I bring you these Orange and Raspberry Muffins. I made them back in gloomy February, and let me tell you, they were like a ray of sunshine peeking through the winter clouds with their bright citrus flavor and bursting raspberries. I served them to my Monday morning parenting group at church where they were a big hit!

To begin, I grated the peel off of one orange. I used my brand new Pampered Chef Microplane Adjustable Fine Grater. It is hands down the best citrus grating tool I have ever used!

It was perfect for grating the peel and avoiding the bitter white pith.

I didn't measure out the recommended 2-3 teaspoons of peel, I just used whatever I could peel off the whole orange.

Next, I squeezed out the juice from the peeled orange through a strainer (to catch the seeds) and into a measuring cup, because I don't have a juicer or a citrus press....yet.

Then, I combined the OJ with canola oil, an egg, reduced-fat sour cream, and the grated peel in a mixing bowl.

Stir together flour, brown sugar, baking powder and baking soda in a medium bowl, breaking up any lumps of sugar.

Stir the flour mixture into the wet mixture until partially moistened. Then add the raspberries and stir gently, just until evenly mixed. The batter will be thick.

I used frozen red raspberries found at my local ALDI store. I just couldn't beat the price! When they are in season, fresh will work too.

I had plenty of raspberries leftover, so I crumbled a few over the tops of the muffins after I had divided the batter into the cups...just to make em' look pretty.

Then pop em' into a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes or so until they test done.


Oh man, you should smell these babies baking! Mmmmm.

I'm a sucker for a little extra sweetness on top of a muffin- a drizzle of glaze, a sprinkle of streusel...or BOTH. Streusel topping didn't seem right for this muffin, but a nice thin glaze made with orange juice and powdered sugar suited them perfectly.

Raspberry Orange Muffins from Driscoll's Berries
Check out their site for more great recipes!

Prep Time: 15 minutes |Cook Time: 20 minutes |Makes: 12 servings

Ingredients

1- package red raspberries ( 6-8 oz.fresh or frozen)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
2/3 cups sour cream or low-fat plain yogurt
2/3 cups packed brown sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
2-3 tsp. orange zest, grated (about 1 orange)
1/3 cup orange juice
1 large egg

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners or coat with cooking spray.
Stir together flour, brown sugar, baking powder and baking soda in a medium bowl, breaking up any lumps of sugar.
Combine sour cream or yogurt, oil, zest, juice and egg in a large bowl. Stir in flour mixture until partially moistened. Add raspberries and stir gently until evenly mixed. Batter will be thick, do not over-stir.
Divide evenly between muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake 20-22 minutes until golden brown and pick inserted comes out clean. Cool in pan 3 minutes.
Serve warm or remove to wire rack to cool completely.

To glaze: Add a cup of powdered sugar to a bowl and add orange juice. Start with a teaspoon and add more after stirring to reach the desired consistency. Glaze should fall easily off of the stirring spoon. Drizzle glaze over the muffins.

Tip: Place a piece of waxed paper under the cooling rack before glazing for an easy clean up.