Orange Muffins With Raisins

A promise kept... an orange-related recipe is here!  A few weeks ago I made my first muffins (pumpkin maple muffins from http://www.pinchmysalt.com/, delish pumpkin and spiced muffins with the perfect hint of maple syrup, yummm), so I wanted to give muffins a try again.  These make great quick breakfast-to-go or snacks, and easy for the hubby to bring to work and share so we're not overwhelmed from my baking desires.  From start to finish, sweet orange aroma filled my nose and kitchen.  The orange muffins were soft and moist, slightly sweetened by the raisins - how perfect!  Thanks to a rainy and cold day, I truly enjoyed this baking adventure today!



Orange Muffins with Raisins
adapted from Orange Bread, Simply Recipes

Ingredients
- 1/3 cup butter, softened (plus 1 Tbsp for buttering the muffin pan)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 Tbsp orange zest (or more for more intense orange flavor)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup plain yogurt (whole, lowfat, or nonfat is fine, just make sure it's plain!)
- 1/2 cup raisins, chopped

Optional glaze
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp orange juice
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar (confectioner's sugar)
 
Tools
- electric mixer or handheld mixer
- mixing bowl
- sifter 
- zester 
- pastry brush
 
Steps
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt 1 Tbsp of butter and butter a 12 cups muffin pan with a pastry brush.

2. Beat the butter until fluffy, about 2 minutes on high in an electric mixer. Add the sugar and beat for an additional 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until completely incorporated after each addition. Beat in the orange zest.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

4. Add the yogurt and dry ingredients by thirds, starting with the yogurt, alternating the additions. Beat only until just incorporated. Mix in the raisins.

5. Immediately pour batter into prepared muffin pan. Place in middle rack of 350°F oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

 6. Cool on a rack in the pan for 5 minutes. Then remove the muffins from the pan and cool for another 10 to 15 minutes.

7. While muffins are cooling, prepare optional glaze if desired. Whisk together the lemon juice, orange juice, and powdered sugar until smooth and there are no lumps. Use a toothpick or skinny skewer to poke holes in the top of the muffins. Place the muffins on a plate and drizzle the glaze over the each muffin.

Makes ~12 muffins (if you don't fill the batter to the very top of the pan).

A few tips...
...from many sad failed attempts at baking, I discovered that baking is very precise.  So if you are typically a "a little dash here, a lot over there" cook like I am, do not do this with baking!  Be precise!  Wash the dust off your measuring cups and spoons!
...you can substitute regular raisins with golden raisins, and add walnuts or pecans if desired (remember to chop the nuts for ease of eating).
...if you are not sure how long to bake them, I would recommend to set your timer to the shorter time (eg. 20 minutes in this case) and check when it's time.  If it's not ready, add a few more minutes and check again until ready.
...to take out the muffins from the pan, use a butterknife and carefully cut around the muffin and carefully pull it out of the pan.  If you want to avoid this tedious task, line the pan with cupcake wrappers for easy removal.
...if you want to make a loaf instead (this is actually the original recipe), bake for 45-50 minutes in a 4x8 loaf pan, or 40 minutes in a 5x9 loaf pan.