If you’re reading this, then you made it. Through several days in the kitchen, through entertaining family members, through traveling to wherever you were going and probably back again. I’d imagine that, if you’re anything like me, you’re probably still exhausted. You deserve a muffin.
It’s funny, after cooking and baking and cooking some more, I’m not exactly cooked out. I am, however, done cooking for other people. I’m ready for some cozy winter cooking and baking, the kind that gets all of us through these next two grey months. Bring on baskets of fresh muffins, rich cassoulets and exciting new soups.
It’s honestly been a long time since I enjoyed a coffee and a muffin. But every once in awhile I get a craving for a not-too-sweet muffin with a moist crumb – to eat hot out of the oven, to eat the next day split and toasted, with a pat of butter on each side. It’s not blueberry or raspberry or rhubarb season – so now is the time to get into the citrus. And what makes these muffins great is that they’re not too sweet. Obviously I love a chocolate-chocolate chip muffin as much as the next person, but it’s not breakfast food. These sunny citrus muffins strike just the right balance between being delicious, but still something you can eat in the morning without shame.
It’s almost the end of 2016, thank goodness – I’ve never wanted a year to end so badly. I hope you have either fabulous or very relaxing plans for December 31, depending on what you’re into. I’ll be heading off to Isla de Holbox, Mexico to ring in the new year, and hopefully come back with a little bit of color, some new seafood ideas and an outlook as sunny as these muffins. Here’s to 2017 – here’s to hoping it’s better than the last one!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sugar
- Grated zest of 1 orange
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup fresh orange juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon pure lemon extract
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup moist, plump dried currants
Instructions
- Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter or spray the 12 molds in a regular-size muffin pan or fit the molds with paper muffin cups. Alternatively, use a silicone muffin pan, which needs neither greasing nor paper cups. Place the muffin pan on a baking sheet.
- In a large bowl, rub the sugar and orange zest together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and the fragrance of orange strong. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk together the orange and lemon juices, lemon extract, melted butter and eggs. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or a rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Don't worry about being thorough - a few lumps are better than overmixing the batter. Fold in the currants. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold.
Notes
https://www.thekitchenchronicles.com/2016/12/28/citrus-currant-muffins/
