Muffins are a no-fuss, simple to make treat. This oh-so-easy Date Orange Muffins recipe comes to the rescue when you need some much needed zing to make you forget an especially unforgiving day at work.
Zesty and full-bodied, these date orange muffins will wake you up, warm you up and fill you up. Oh, yes. It’s perfect for those chilly evenings with a bite.
It was a chilly evening and I wanted to make date orange muffins to go with a cup of hot tea. The cold got me thinking and I ending up adding cinnamon powder and nutmeg powder, and making other changes to my usual muffin recipe. And behold! These warm and fuzzy muffins were born.
Young and huggable fellas with cottony golden hair! They sure make you smile and forget the cold and your work, momentarily at least.
Zesty Date Orange Muffins
12-14 medium muffins, 6-7 large muffins
Ingredients
- 225 gms all-purpose flour
- 385 gms wholemeal flour
- 90 gms butter, firm, chopped
- 180 gms caster sugar
- 180 gm stoned chopped dates
- 310 ml buttermilk
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 teaspoons orange zest
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 172ºC (340ºF).
- Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and spices together.
- Add the butter to the dry ingredients and rub it in until the resulting mix look like coarse breadcrumbs.
- Whisk the egg for 30 seconds. Add the sugar and buttermilk, dates and rind, and whisk for another 30 seconds.
- Now add the buttery mixture and mix it into the wet ingredients with a large wooden spoon. It’s quite alright if it is lumpy. Take care not to over mix.
- Spoon the mix into a prepared muffin tray, filling up about two-thirds of the cup.
- Bake them for 15-17 minutes, or until they’re golden, risen and firm to the touch. Put them on a rack to cool immediately.
Serving: Muffins are best eaten the same day they are made, preferably while they’re warm. Enjoy them with tea or coffee, or a smearing of custard or jam.
Notes: Insert a skewer or a butter knife — if it comes out clean, your muffins are done! I’m telling you all this (golden, risen and firm to the touch) because there are different muffin sizes. I used a medium muffin tray. In case you are baking large muffins ensure they’re well done (with the help of a skewer), and are beginning to shrink from the tray, before you take them out of the oven.
Storage: You can freeze your cold muffins. When wrapped and frozen correctly, they can stay for up to 2 months. Thaw them properly before you eat them!