Sweet Clementine (bum bum bum)

Hello Sweetie!  Yes, I’m talking to you, cutie.

By “cutie” I’m referring to those adorable little Clementines (aka “mini oranges”) that are just sweet as can be…

And so addictive.

Jilli and I eat them all the time:  breakfast, snacks, lunch, after dinner, you name it!  These naturally portable treats are perfect for any time.  Easier to peal than their giant orange cousins, Clementines have been a hit in my family.

This past week, my mom went to Costco and bought a giant box filled with them.  The only problem: we have too many.   Seven days later and we still have leftovers, so I turned to the internet to find something I can do with them.

Over at The Novice Chef (which is an incredibly photogenic blog), she created a great Clementine version of an orange based recipe from Pinch of Yum (another great blog to check out).  Just my luck!

So, without further ado, here are the Clementine Muffins with a Clementine Glaze.

Orange you glad that I said clementine muffin?

The muffin is light, but has a fragrant little burst of citrus.   The glaze is super sweet and sticky, with a tinge of Clementine. Together, the Clementine flavor is satiating and mouthwatering.

I actually doubled the recipe I found on The Novice Chef and it yielded 14 muffins instead of the original 8 muffins.  In addition to that, I did not make the sugared zest because of my poor zesting skills…

Silly muffin, you’re not a clementine anymore.

And something awesome that I learned today?  By using a 1/4 measuring cup, you can perfectly fill up a muffin tin 2/3 full.  Mind = blown.  Now I will never overflow another muffin tin again!

Finally, I want to make sure that no one repeats the mistake that I made creating this recipe:

The secret to perfectly moist muffin is…do not over mix the batter.   A good muffin batter should be slightly bumpy and never completely smooth.

Ingredients

Original Recipe from The Novice Chef

Recipe Note: Total, this recipe will use 4 Clementines or more, depending on how juicy your clementines are.

Muffins:
2 cup all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
3 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 large egg
1/2 cup canola oil
2/3 cup milk (I use 2% reduced fat)
zest & juice of 2 Clementine
2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Icing:
2 cup confectioners sugar
2 tablespoon Clementine juice

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin tin with butter or non stick spray.

In a medium bowl, add together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together egg, oil, milk, zest and Clementine juice and vanilla extract.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, but be careful not to overmix.  10 to 15 quick stirs and stops should be sufficient.  The mix should be slightly bumpy.  If the batter is too smooth, the muffins will be tough.

Evenly divide the batter, about 1/4 cup batter per muffing tin. Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely on the rack

For the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk the confectioners sugar with clementine juice. You want the glaze to be thick enough to thickly coat the back of a metal spoon. Add more sugar or juice as needed to reach the desired consistency.

For the sugared zest: In a small bowl, combine Clementine zest and sugar with your fingers, until zest is evenly distributed.

When muffins are cooled completely, dip the tops in the glaze and immediately sprinkle with sugared zest. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Tip: When grating a fruit for zest, be sure to just grate the colored outside layer of the fruit. Do not grate the white layer, the pith, that is under the colored skin. The pith is very bitter and will give your muffins a bitter aftertaste.

Inspired by Pinch Of Yum

I wish you luck in your muffin conquests and hope you have a very happy new year!

Geek Fact of the Day 

Clementines, also called Algerian tangerines, are a hybrid between a sweet orange and a Chinese mandarin.  (source:  US Department of Agriculture Official Website)

Don’t forget to just be you!

-Alli

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