I knew I couldn’t resist this week’s Muffin Monday assignment when I found out what kind of muffin we’d be making, despite it coming in the midst of a very busy couple of days!

Orange zest, dried dates, cinnamon, and walnuts. The flavour! The texture! Swoon-worthy, right?

My dirty little secret with these muffins is that, while at the grocery store attempting to buy Buttermilk (for once, I usually just use yogurt), I spied those beautiful, red cartons: those gleaming beacons of hope that cozy Christmas is coming soon. Yes! With Halloween not even out of the way, the grocery stores have already started selling Egg Nog.

Maybe I’m jumping the seasonal gun a little with the Egg Nog, but as a result, buttermilk has still not graced the inside of my fridge. The measurement was not quite enough to really affect the taste, sadly, but I still loved knowing it was in there. Thankfully, you can learn from my mistakes: dirty little secret, yes, but definitely save the Egg Nog for a recipe where it really counts! I took more time with these than I did with my misshapen Carrot Spice Muffins – taking care to smooth the batter out once in the tin – as their batters had a very similar texture. I was pretty happy with their domed tops and even sides in the end, while they still had some of that misshapen and textured character that I like.

Orange Date Muffins

Adapted from From a Baker’s Kitchen: Techniques and Recipes for Professional Quality Baking in the Home Kitchen

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoon grated orange rind
1/3 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled (I used coconut oil)

2/3 cup buttermilk (I used Egg Nog)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a 12 hole muffin tin with liners or grease and set aside. Add egg mixture to the flour mixture. Stir just until combined. Fold in the orange rind, dates and walnuts.
Evenly divide the mixture among the 12 muffins cups.
If you desire a topping then mix the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle it on the top.
Place in the oven and bake for about 15 to20 minutes, or until very lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool.
Makes 12 regular-sized muffins.
In a large bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
In a measuring jar or medium bowl, beat together the orange juice, buttermilk, egg and melted butter.
Add egg mixture to the flour mixture. Stir just until combined. Fold in the orange rind, dates and walnuts.
Evenly divide the mixture among the 12 muffins cups.
If you desire a topping then mix the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle it on the top.
Place in the oven and bake for about 15 to20 minutes, or until very lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool.
Makes 12 regular-sized muffins.



Yeah, that’s my muffin looking forlornly outside.

 




Can’t wait to see how the other Muffin Monday bakers liked this one! Check them out at Baker Street. While you’re there, don’t forget to browse through Anuradha’s Muffin 101 Guide.

Muffin Monday is an initiative by Baker Street. A culinary journey of sharing a wickedly delicious muffin recipe every week. Drop in a quick line to join her on her journey to make the world smile and beat glum Monday mornings week after week.

Source: http://foodjetaimee.blogspot.com/2011/10/orange-date-muffins.html