marmalade muffins

So I made muffins. I think it may have been a procrastination tactic to avoid any more paper writing. After 15 solid pages of typing, my brain simply hit that point of no return. No more intellectual thoughts were emerging. When that happens, the only logical thing to do is bake muffins!

These particular muffins are deceivingly good. Sure the pictures look okay...like a standard muffin. But they taste sooo much better than that! There's orange zest all up in those muffins. Plus, once they're out of the oven, they're drizzled with a mixture of brown sugar and orange juice. It's a double whammy of orange!

I also want to note that today has been a big day for me...I brushed my hair AND shaved my legs. What?!? Yep, shaved my legs during finals week. Unheard of. Although, I am still in sweats. Whatever, can't win 'em all. Okey dokey, back to my studies.

Marmalade Muffins

Ingredients:
2 oranges
1/2 lb. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat the over to 375. Begin by grating the zest from the oranges.

2. Cream the butter and granulated sugar in a bowl with a mixer. Crack in the eggs and mix until well combined, about 4 minutes.

3. Sift the flour onto a sheet of wax paper. Add it to the bowl. Gently stir with the mixer using as few strokes as possible so the muffins aren't tough.

4. In a small measuring cup or bowl, combine the buttermilk and baking soda. Add the buttermilk mixture to the batter and mix until just combined. Add the orange zest and mix until just combined, being careful not to over mix.

5. Grease 36 mini-muffin cups (or 18 standard muffin cups) and fill each two-thirds full with batter. Use a cookie scoop to put the muffin batter in the tins. Bake for 12 to 17 minutes for mini-muffins (or 17-22 minutes for standard muffin cups), until light brown. Watch to make sure they don't get too brown.

6. Now, while the muffins are baking, prepare the glaze: Juice the 2 oranges you just zested. Add the orange juice and brown sugar to a medium bowl and stir together until just combined, but don't worry about dissolving the brown sugar completely. You want the glaze to be grainy and textured.

7. As soon as the muffins are done, drizzle the glaze all over the top. Be sure to thoroughly coat each muffin. Serve the muffins warm.

Yields 36 mini-muffins (18 standard muffins)
Source: Food Network Magazine May 2012