Orange Cinnamon Muffins

 Lately, I've been making muffins to go with Sunday afternoon coffee. Muffins don't fit into the dessert category at all. So I am at liberty to make muffins using dessert ingredients with much less sugar. Also I can sneak in fruits for added benefits. I made apple pie muffins. Keeping in tune with cinnamon, I decided to give orange muffins a try. I know oranges also go well with cinnamon. So I fortified the flavour of these muffins with zest of an entire orange and the freshly squeezed juice of the same orange, pulp and all. The kitchen was full of fresh citrus aroma while the muffins were baking. Upon slicing the muffin, the tiny specks of orange zest were indeed very inviting. As I am writing this, another sweet recipe for muffins just sprung up in my mind! I'll make those muffins come Sunday afternoon. Stay tuned my friends!

Orange Cinnamon Muffins

Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp each baking powder, baking soda
A pinch of salt
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup orange juice
Zest of one orange

For topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon powder
1/4 cup melted butter

How to:

Preheat oven to 400° F. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix wet ingredients in another bowl. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir till the lumpy batter forms. Do not over mix.

Pour about 2 tablespoon of batter into paper lined muffin cups. Bake for about 20 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

While hot, brush the tops with melted butter. Roll the muffins into cinnamon sugar and enjoy warm.