Sunshine Muffins: using the whole orange, peel and all

Doesn't it seem a shame to peel an orange and just throw those peels away?

I'm something of a fanatic about using every last little bit. (No kidding?!) I can only make so much candied orange peel, and save so much orange zest. Sometimes I just want to prepare an easy recipe, that will use the orange peel as well the the pulp. And this is the one I use.

This is another one of my friend Jayne's recipes. She's the source of my rhubarb pie recipe (Jayne's Rhubarb Custard Pie) and zucchini bread and butter pickle recipe. The official name of the muffin recipe is Orange Muffins, but when my kids were very young, they dubbed these Sunshine Muffins. So, Sunshine Muffins it has been.

I hope you try these and let me know what you think.

Sunshine Muffins

Ingredients:

1 whole, unpeeled orange, ends trimmed off (yucky stuff gets in the blossom and stem end -- pesticides while on the tree, and fungicides once harvested), cut up (I use seedless navels. If your oranges have seeds, remove them.)
1/2 cup (120 mL) orange juice
1 egg
1/2 cup (120 g) soft butter
1  3/4 cup (210 g) flour -- (I use 1 cup white, 3/4 cup whole wheat)
3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
1 teaspoon (5 mL) baking powder
1 teaspoon (5 mL) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (2.5 mL)
1/2 cup (about 75 g) chopped dates (or any chopped dried fruit. I've been using chopped candied orange peel.)

Wash orange either with a drop of dish soap or in a vinegar wash. Cut orange into 7 to 8 pieces. Remove any seeds. Combine orange and juice in a blender. Puree.

Add egg and butter to blender, and puree. Pour into a large mixing bowl.

In another bowl, measure dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Pour over the top of the orange mixture. (Add optional dried fruit at this point.) Stir just until combined.

Fill greased muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake at 400 degrees F (204 C), for 20 minutes, or until tops spring back when pressed.  Cool in an for 5 minutes, then remove.

Yields 12 to 16 muffins.


What ways have you come up with, to "use it all up"?



If you enjoyed this recipe, you might also like my Rhubarb Crumb Muffins. Tender muffins, with a crumb topping.

5 things that I am very thankful for

1. A gorgeous sunrise for my drive home from dropping my daughters off at school.
2. An excellent cup of coffee, made at home, on my ancient, hand-me-down, one-cup-at-a-time Black and Decker coffee maker. No k-cups here, just good coffee. (thanks again, to my brother-in-law and wife, for gifting us with their cast-offs)
3. Our very sturdy kitchen table, that has seen 26 years of hard family-use, and will be refinished this summer. We put it together from a kit, all those years ago. Here's to 26 more years!
4. A laugh and hug from a timid little 1 year-old girl, at MOPS on Tuesday. This little one made what I do, all worthwhile.
5. My frosty, and invigorating 8-minute walk, (almost) every morning. It gets my day started on a high note.

Studies show that people who find things to be thankful for in their lives, on a daily basis, are happier overall. So, I try to find 5 things per day for which I am very grateful.

What are your 5 things?