Whole orange muffins

A good muffin recipe is as indispensable as a good scone recipe. It's something you'll use again and again, everyone loves it and it's quick and easy to make.  It's orange season here and I've got a lot of sweet organic oranges that are crying out to be used in some way other than being eaten fresh. So I made up a version of the whole orange cake recipe and made some whole orange muffins. They're delicious and have that genuine orange taste without any artificial flavours.

Whole Orange Muffins

1 washed orange, cut into quarters
juice and grated rind from 1 orange
1 large egg or 2 bantam eggs
½ cup melted butter

½ cup sugar

2 cups SR flour
1 teaspoon baking powder (helps boost the rise of the dense muffin batter)

1. Place the orange, orange juice and rind in a food processor and process until the orange is completely mashed.
2. Add the egg, butter and sugar and blitz again for 1 minute.
3. Take the processor off the stand and pour the mixture into a bowl containing the sifted flour and baking powder.
4. It's crucial at the point to not over-mix the batter. Gently mix the flour in until it is just combined, then stop.
5. Add the batter to a prepared muffin tin.
6. Cook on 180C until they smell cooked and look golden brown.

These are delicious when they're warm from the oven but can be still enjoyed for a few days if reheated in the microwave. They're just the thing for morning tea on the verandah and travel very well as school or work snacks. I hope you enjoy them.