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

 

MAPLE GLAZED WHOLE WHEAT APPLE BREAD

I don’t know what is wrong with me.  I guess I spaced.  On my last post I pointed out the name change of my blog, but didn’t mention that I will be changing the URL over.  It appears as if the change will be seamless, but just in case I feel that I should give you a heads up.  I’m going to change over on Monday November 12^th.  The URL will change from: loavesanddishes.blogspot.com, to: loavesndishes.com (don’t you think that’s so much simpler?).  If you have me in your reader, you may want to note that.

Now; onto the food!

I am on the Women’s Auxiliary for an organization called His Caring Place, and last weekend we had a blast doing a shopping event to raise funds.  His Caring Place (aka HCP) is a faith based, residential and non-residential program for teens in crisis pregnancy.  The program shows these girls that they are valued and loved.  They are given guidance, education and goals.  You can find out more about HCP by going to hiscaringplace.org.  While HCP is based in Broward County, I know there are similar programs everywhere.  I am so grateful to be a part of this program.  I see how these girls grow into lovely young women and many of them into wonderful mother's.

Our shopping event had lots of great vendors and we had our own table for the Women’s Auxiliary. 

Some of us brought baked goods to sell, which sold out before lunch!   

My contributions were Maple Glazed Whole Wheat Apple Bread, and Chocolaty Caramel Popcorn (coming soon). 

We had more goods, I just spaced once again almost forgetting to take a photo.

  

I found the Oven-safe paper bakeware at Home Goods; they are the perfect size for a bake sale or for gifting.

My recipe for the apple bread is for 2 medium loaves, but I made 4 small loaves; you could also make 6 mini loaves.

Here’s what you do. 

Sorry the pictures are dark.   I was making the bread at 9 pm, which doesn't make for good lighting.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour two medium loaf pans.  Oven-safe paper bakeware does not need to be greased and floured.

 

In a medium bowl combine the whole wheat and all- purpose flour.

If I had made the apple bread with only whole wheat flour the bread would be heavy, so I also use white flour to give a lighter texture.

 

Add the baking soda, salt and spices to the dry ingredients.  

 I prefer freshly grated nutmeg.

 

Use a whisk to mix the dry ingredients together.

 

 Cream the softened butter and sugar together.

I use a whisk because that’s about my only form of exercise, but feel free to use a hand held mixer.

 

 Beat the apple sauce and add the eggs one at a time into the creamed butter and sugar.

 

The mixture will appear curdled, that’s okay.

Beat in the vanilla.

 

The whisk is in the picture, but I removed it and used a spatula to stir in the dry ingredients.

Stir until just combined, do not over mix.

 

 Stir in the diced apples. 

I used one large Honey Crisp, but Gala, Granny Smith or Golden Delicious would be good too.

 

Distribute the batter evenly among the pans. 

Because I used paper bakeware, I put the loaves on a sheet pan.

These small loaves bake for 40 to 50 minutes.  

Bake medium loaves for 50 to 60 minutes and mini loaves for 30 to 40 minutes. Until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.

 

For regular pans; cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn the loaves out on to a wire rack to cool completely.  

 I put the paper bakeware directly onto the wire rack to cool.

 

Whisk all the ingredients for the glaze together in a small bowl.

 

Put the loaves onto a sheet pan.  The sheet pan will catch any glaze that drips off of the apple bread.  

Spoon the glaze over the completely cooled loaves.  I spooned some of the glaze over, allowed that to set slightly…

…and then spooned more glaze over the loaves.

 

Maple Glazed Whole Wheat Apple Bread is perfect with a cup of coffee or tea…just a suggestion.

Makes 2 medium loaves, 4 small loaves, or 6 mini loaves

1 ½         cups       Whole wheat flour

1              cup         All-purpose flour

2              tsp.        Baking soda

1              tsp.        Salt

1              tsp.        Ground cinnamon

¼             tsp.        Grated nutmeg,

1              cup         Butter, softened to room temperature

1 ¾         cups       Granulated sugar

1              cup         Unsweetened apple sauce

4                              Eggs

2              tsp.        Vanilla extract

1              cup         Apples, peeled and diced into ½ inch cubes

1                              Recipe for Maple Glaze *recipe to follow

1.        Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.

2.       Grease and flour 2 medium loaf pans, 4 small loaf pans, or 6 mini loaf pans.

3.        In a medium bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg; whisk to combine.

4.       Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl.

5.       Once the butter and sugar are creamed; whisk (beat) in the apple sauce, the eggs (one at a time), and the vanilla extract.  The mixture will appear curdled, that’s normal.

6.       Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.  Stir only until combined, do not over mix.

7.       Stir in the diced apples.

8.       Distribute the batter evenly among the loaf pans. 

9.       Bake until a skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.  Medium loaves: 50 to 60 minutes, small loaves: 40 to 50 minutes, mini loaves: 30 to 40 minutes.

10.   Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

11.   When the loaves have completely cooled, spoon maple glaze over the top of each loaf.  * Put the loaves on a sheet pan to catch any glaze that drips.

MAPLE GLAZE

1              cup         Confectioner sugar

5              Tbsp.     Pure maple syrup

1              Tbsp.     Water

1.  Add all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until combined.

*Note, Whole Wheat Apple Bread can be frozen for up to two months, just don't glaze the loaves until you're ready to serve.