Even though we’ve bid farewell to the longest month of the year, winter still has its cold grip on everything. So whilst I may be eager for lighter, milder days spent sowing seeds, trimming & pruning the garden for the year ahead, I’m still resigned to the warmth & comfort of the kitchen. It’s not all bad though, winter citrus has brought me much joy lately.
I’ll admit, I’m a bit of an orange addict. Citrus cakes, tarts, curds & preserves, I’m all over it. Marmalade on toast would 100% be my last meal. But, there is another deliciously zesty way to enjoy some sweet orange at breakfast time, muffins. Whenever I’m feeling organised or need a simple, mindful bit of baking, I like to make a batch of muffins for the week ahead. These sweet little clementine & walnut muffins are full of flavour, have a wonderfully moist texture & are filling enough to see you through any morning. Clementines give much subtler, more delicate flavour than oranges here & paired with the creamy crunch of walnuts is just the best start to the day.
CLEMENTINE & WALNUT MUFFINS
(makes 12 medium or 6 large muffins)
Ingredients:
- 3 clementines
- 2 large eggs
- 80g yogurt
- 60ml rapeseed oil
- 110ml honey
- 225g wholemeal flour
- 3tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 100g walnuts (plus a few extra for decorating), roughly chopped
Method:
- Start by placing 2 of the clementines into a small saucepan, cover with water & bring to the boil
- Simmer the clementines for 15-20 minutes until softened & a knife pierces them easily
- Once soften, drain the clementines & place into the bowl of a food processor & blitz the cooked clementines into a purée
- Next, add the eggs, yogurt, oil & honey to a large bowl & whisk together until well combined
- Add the clementine purée along with the zest of the remaining clementine to the bowl & stir through
- Place a sieve over the bowl & sift over the flour & bicarbonate fold until just combined
- Add the walnuts & stir until evenly distributed
- Devide the mixture up equally between a 12 hole muffin pan, lined with cases or baking parchment
- Peel the zested clementine & place one segment, along with 1 walnut on the top of each muffin
- Bake at 180°c for 15-20 minutes, until a beautiful golden brown colour & the muffins spring back when pressed gently with a finger
- Carefully remove the muffins from their tin & place on a cooling rack to fully cool
