Take a Megabite

Raspberry Orange Mini Muffins with Pink Icing

My first favorite thing about these muffins is how the raspberries turn the icing pink and my second favorite thing is the way the raspberries are a surprise when you bite into these. The deliciousness is understood.

These are pretty much cupcakes, that I’ve decided to call a muffins for breakfast’s sake. They seem like the kind of breakfast cake that should be served with pink hot chocolate or at a tea party.

Mostly, they are a pretty muffin with freckles. What’s not to like?

Raspberry Orange Mini Muffins
Recipe adapted from Cupcakes!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 t baking powder
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 – 2 t grated orange zest
• scant 1 T poppy seeds
• 1/2 cup buttermilk*
• 1 t orange juice
• 27 raspberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 27 mini muffin tin cups with paper liners.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on a medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until smoothly blended and lightened in color, about 1 minute. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until each is blended and batter looks creamy. Mix in the vanilla, orange zest and poppy seeds.
4. On a low speed, add half of the flour mixture, mixing just to incorporate it. Mix in the buttermilk to blend it. Mix in the remaining flour mixture until it is just incorporated and batter looks smooth. Stir in orange juice.
5. Fill each paper liner using a cookie scoop or about 1 teaspoon of batter. Pop one raspberry on top of each cupcake and press in lightly. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center and comes out clean. Allow muffins to cool before drizzling. It makes for prettier frosting, trust me.

*I was out of buttermilk so I used the following substitution:
Place 1 1/2 t lemon juice in a 1/2 cup measuring cup and fill to the top with milk.
Allow to sit for 2 minutes. Use in place of buttermilk! Thanks Joy!
(substitution found on Joy the Baker)

Raspberry + Orange = Pink Icing

Ingredients:

• 1 T butter, melted
• 1 cup powdered sugar, divided
• 2 t orange juice
• 2 raspberries mashed

Directions:

1. Stir butter and 2/3 cup powdered sugar together until it looks like large crumbs.
2. Add 2 teaspoons orange juice and mix completely. Mash two raspberries and stir into the icing.
3. Add remaining 1/3 cup powdered sugar one tablespoon at a time until slightly thicker than a glaze. Drizzle on top of the cupcakes and eat 26.

Here I am sifting like I mean it with my new flour sifter!

Orange Poppy Seed Scones with Orange Icing

Don’t be fooled by the poppy seeds these scones got, they’re still orange from the block. They’re not better than you. They’re not pretentious. They are just simply orange and deliciously refreshing.

I happen to love orange! …orange flavored pasteries that is. Not when people say I have orange hair. My hair is red. Thank you very much.

This is a remix of the chocolate chip scones I made last week. It just goes to show that I can never have enough scones in my life. Make these…you’ll understand!

Orange Poppy Seed Scones with Orange Icing
Recipe adapted form Orangette

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 t baking powder
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
• 3 T sugar
• Scant 3 t poppyseeds
• 1 t orange zest
• 1 T orange juice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Beat together the milk and egg and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. Rub butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender or your hands. Working until you have no lumps bigger than a pea. Add the sugar and poppy seeds. Toss to mix. Whisk the orange zest and juice into the milk/egg mixture and add to the dry ingredients. Bring dough together gently with a wooden spoon.
3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it no more than 12 times. (12 is the magic number, so exceed at your own risk!) Pat dough into a round approximately 1/2 inch thick, and cut into 8-12 wedges. Place on an ungreased baking sheet.
4. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until golden. Cool on a rack, then move to a parchment paper covered surface for drizzling the frosting.

Orange Icing

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 T butter, melted
• 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 t orange zest
• Juice squeezed from 1/2 an orange

Directions:

1. Combine melted butter and 3/4 cup powdered sugar and mix with a hand mixer until combined.
2. Add orange zest and juice and mix until no longer lumpy. Add remaining 1/2 cup of powdered sugar 1/4 cup at a time mixing between additions.
3. Drizzle using a spoon or knife over the scones to your heart’s content.
4. Promptly eat one. That is if you can stop at one.