Orange Muffins

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup yogurt (regular, lowfat, or nonfat)
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
• 3/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
• 1/4 cup milk (whole, lowfat, or nonfat)
• 1/4 teaspoon orange oil

Recipe

• 1 position rack in center of oven; preheat oven to 400°.
• 2 prepare muffin tin—spray indentations and rims with nonstick cooking spray.
• 3 in a bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt until uniform; set aside.
• 4 in another bowl, whisk egg and yogurt until smooth; then whisk in the melted butter and orange zest; once incorporated, whisk in the orange juice, milk, and orange oil.
• 5 stir in the flour mixture using a wooden spoon, until moistened.
• 6 fill muffin tins ¾ full; bake 20 minutes or until tops are rounded and lightly brown; pick inserted should come out with a few moist crumbs attached.
• 7 place pan on wire rack; cool 10 minutes.
• 8 gently rock muffins back and forth to release; remove muffins from tin.
• 9 cool for 5 minutes on wire rack before serving.
• 10 *blood red orange muffins—substitute blood orange juice and zest for the orange juice and zest; whisk in 6 drops of red food coloring, if desired, with the yogurt; proceed as directed.
• 11 *chocolate chip orange muffins—add ¾ cups miniature milk chocolate chips with the flour; proceed as directed.
• 12 *minty orange muffins—add 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint with the orange zest; proceed as directed.
• 13 *provencal savory muffins—add 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary with the yogurt; reduce the butter to 3 tablespoons, and add 3 tablespoons olive oil with the remaining butter; proceed as directed.