My 150th Post : Orange Muffin

This is my 150th post. I decided to post these cuties on this special post. My daughter suggested to post this on Chinese New Year, but I didn't get time then.

I have baked them few weeks back with fresh oranges during Chinese New Year, when Singapore markets were flooding with oranges. These Orange plants are to be seen all over Singapore during Chinese New Year. These oranges are distributed among relatives during CNY to wish them good luck as Oranges are symbols of abundance and good fortune. These seasonal tiny mandarin oranges are very very sweet and cheap, too.

Ingredients : (makes about 15 muffins)

Wet Ingredients

Melted Butter/margarine : 1/2 cup
Sugar : 1 cup
Egg : 1
Milk : 1/2 cup
Orange : 2 big or 4 small(Juice of 2 oranges, about 1/2 cup)
Orange zest : 2 tblsp. (zest of 2 big oranges)
Orange essence : 1 tsp.
Dry mango strips : few strips(chopped-optional)

Dry Ingredients

All-purpose flour : 2 cups
Baking Powder : 1 tsp.
Baking Soda : 1 tsp.
Walnut/hazelnut : 10-12(finely chopped)

Method :

Preheat oven to 350 degree F(175 degree C). Place oven rack in middle of oven and prepare a muffin tray with muffin cups.
Quarter and de-seed the oranges. First, take out the zest from the oranges. Then extract juice using juicer/reamer.
Take a mixing bowl, pour orange juice in, add orange zest. Add melted butter and sugar in it. Mix well.
In a cup, take milk and add one egg in there. Give it a good whisk using a fork. Then add this milk-egg mixture in butter-sugar mix. Beat well again until sugar melts. Add orange essence finally and mix again.
In another bowl, take flour, baking soda and baking powder, mix well together. Then add this flour mix in butter-sugar mixture. Beat well again to make a creamy batter. If your dough is little dry, you can add little orange juice. Beat together to make a creamy batter.
Finally, add chopped mango slices and finely chopped nuts.
Pour batter into muffin cups and fill up to 3/4 of muffin cup is filled. Bake for 30-35 minute or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes.

I have made this orange loaf in loaf pan using the same batter.