Zesty Orange Muffins - recipe

I'm always looking for new things to make that are portable so that I have things I can take with me that are wheat-free.  We made these Zesty Orange Muffins over weekend and I have to admit we ate 3 of them still hot from the oven because they smelled so good we didn't want to let them cool before eating them. 

This recipe was inspired by one that I read in a cookbook called "Wheat free, Gluten Free - Cookbook for Kids and Busy Adults" by Connie Sarros but I've made quite a few modifications to it that better suited the tastes we like.

Because I think cakes, muffins, and cookies need a sweeter flour base than other baked goods, I came up with a gluten free flour mix that doesn't have the heavy "earthly" flavors of a typcial mix that has sorghum flour in it. 

Sweet Flour Mix

• 6 cups white rice flour
• 6 cups coconut flour
• 1.5 cups potato starch
• 2 Tbsp Xanthan gum
• 1 Tbsp salt

Mix in a large container and store in a dry, dark pantry

Zesty Orange Muffin recipe

• 2 large oranges
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1/3 cup coconut oil (melted)
• 2 tsp mayonaise
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 c. light brown sugar
• 2 cups Sweet Flour Mix (above)
• 2 tbls baking powder
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbls flax seed (ground) - good for adding fiber
•  For topping - agave syrup or honey, powdered sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 and spray muffin pans with nonstick spray

Food Prep:

1. Using a zester or microplane grater, zest both oranges.  Set the zest aside.
2. Trim the remaining peel from the oranges, remove pith and seeds, and puree in a blender or food processor until smooth.  Set aside.
3. Grind the flax seed in blender or food processor. 
4. Crack the eggs and lightly whip 
5. Mix the dry ingredients together (flour, baking powder, spices, salt,  flax seed) and set aside.
6. Mix the wet ingredients together (2/3 of the orange puree, the zest, applesauce, coconut oil, mayonaise, vanilla, eggs) set aside
7. Measure the brown sugar (tightly packed) and then mix it into the wet ingredients until it's well mixed.
8. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, stirring until they are completely blended.  If the batter is too dry, add water to the remaining orange puree to thin it to the consistency of orange juice and add to the batter in small amounts until it is moist but not runny.  Note: the batter will be somewhere between a cookie dough and a cake batter. 
9. Fill the muffin tins 2/3 of the way up and bake for 20 minutes. 
10. When done, let cool for a few minutes and then pop them out of the trays. 
11. While still warm, drizzle with agave syrup (or honey) and dust with powdered sugar.

If you don't like the slightly bitter taste of orange zest or the tang of the pith reduce the amount of zest used to the amount of 1 orange.  You can also use orange juice concentrate instead of orange puree if you like it a little sweeter.  We like the savory tang of the orange zest that is offset by the agave syrup and powdered sugar. 

Variation - leave the batter a little on the dry side and scoop the dough out to make cookies instead of muffins.  Bake 10-12 minutes and check to see if they are done. 

If you try this and come up with your own variations, let me know!