ORANGE GLAZED STRAWBERRY AND ORANGE MUFFINS

I have an abundance of strawberries; they were BOGO after all.  I fall for it every time, two fer one.  Do I need that many strawberries?  Of course not, we’re a two person household. 

What will I do with these beauties?

But then again we’re only two… isn’t two a romantic number?  We’re a pair, a duo, a couple, why we're two peas in a pod…sigh.  

I'll be seeing Andrea Bocelli perform tonight...sigh.  It doesn't get more romantic than that!  Except that I won't be going with Billy, that's not so romantic...sad sigh.

Strawberries are romantic, so sweet, such a pretty pinkish, red color…sigh.  

Strawberry and orange make such a lovely couple I think. 

So wouldn’t it make sense that Orange Glazed Strawberry and Orange Muffins are exactly what you should make to delight your love this Valentines morning?  Cuz I don’t know about you, but food is how I say "I love you".

Did I take it too far?  Any hoo here’s how to say “I love you”.

Pre heat the oven to 400 degrees.  Then line 16 muffin cups with cute paper cupcake liners.

Slice the strawberries and lay them out on some paper towel, lay more paper towel on top.  The paper towel will absorb some of the excess juice and keep that juice from bleeding into your muffin batter.

Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.

In a medium bowl whisk together the buttermilk, eggs and melted butter.

See this pretty zest, whisk that into the wet ingredients as well.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients all at once.  Stir just until the ingredients are combined.

Gently fold the sliced strawberries into the batter.

Scoop a couple of tablespoons of batter into the bottom of each muffin cup.

Then spoon about a teaspoon of strawberry preserves into the center.

Scoop some more batter over the preserves, filling the cups about 2/3 full.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until you when you press the top of the muffin it springs back.  Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn them out to cool on a wire rack. The muffins are tasty just like this; but they are even more amazing when topped with a glaze!

To make the glaze, sift a cup of confectioner's sugar into a medium bowl.

Whisk in some orange zest and orange juice.

Spoon the Orange Glaze over the warm muffins.  If the muffins are glazed, they will need to be eaten on the same day.  When the glazed muffins are stored in an air tight container the glaze melts and is absorbed into the muffin.

 

Orange Glazed Strawberry Muffins are not to sweet, and are super moist and delicioso!  These muffins were inspired by a recipe in my Williams-Sonoma Muffins and Quick Breads cook book, and the Orange glaze is taken directly from the book.

ORANGE GLAZED STRAWBERRY AND ORANGE MUFFINS

Make 16 muffins

FOR THE MUFFINS

1              cup         Strawberries, thinly sliced

2              cups       All-purpose flour

½             cup         Granulated sugar

1 ½         tsp.        Baking powder

1              tsp.        Baking soda

½             tsp.        Salt

1              cup         Buttermilk

2                              Eggs

6              Tbsp.     Butter, melted

1              Tbsp.     Grated orange zest

1/3         cup         Strawberry preserves

  1.        Pre heat oven to 400 degrees.

  2.       Line the cups of a muffin tin with paper cup cake liners.  You will need 16.

  3.       Lay the sliced strawberries out on some paper towel and cover them with more paper towel.  This will help to absorb some of the juice and keep it from bleeding into the muffins.

  4.       In a large mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients; the flour through salt.

  5.       In a medium bowl whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, melted butter and orange zest.

  6.       Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients all at once, and mix with a spoon or spatula just until combine.

  7.       Gently stir the strawberries into the batter.

  8.       Fill the bottom of each muffin cup with about 2 tablespoons of batter.

  9.       Spoon about 1 teaspoon of strawberry preserves on top of that.

  10.   Then fill the muffin cups with more batter; filling the cups about 2/3 full.

  11.   Bake in a hot oven for 15 to 18 minutes rotating the pans after about 10 minutes of baking.  The muffins are done when you touch the top and it springs back.

  12.   Allow to cool in the pans for 5 minutes, and then turn the muffins out to cool completely on a wire rack.

  13.   If you’re glazing the muffins, do it while the muffins are still warm.

FOR THE GLAZE

1              cup         Confectioner’s sugar

2              Tbsp.     Orange juice

1              tsp.        Grated orange zest

  1.        Sift the confectioner’s sugar into a medium bowl

  2.       Whisk the orange juice and zest into the sugar until smooth.

  3.       Spoon the glaze over warm muffins.

  *Note, if the muffins are glazed it's best to eat them the same day.  Unglazed muffins can be kept for a few days in an air tight container.



   This recipe is linked up at:

   The Taylor House, Pinterest Power Party

   

Saturday Dishes