Orange-Graham Muffins & Orange Tea

A healthy breakfast full of the sunny flavor and scent of oranges

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here is the ROUNDUP

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This is my entry for the Weekend Breakfast Blogging event hosted this month by Suganya of Tasty Palettes and initiated by Nandita of Saffron Trail. Suganya’s theme is “Healthy Eats”.

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These muffins contain no eggs, no dairy, and just a minimal amount of sugar and shortening (olive oil). Graham flour provides fiber and freshly squeezed orange juice gives flavor and a moist, tender crumb. The tea is infused with fresh orange slices, and it is so flavorful it does not require any additional sugar.

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From the original recipes by:

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Alice Bradley In: “Sunkist Recipes. Oranges-Lemons”, c1916—USA

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and

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Mrs. J. L. Lane In: “365 Orange Recipes: an orange recipe for every day in the year”, c1909—USA

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Ingredients

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Orange-Graham Muffins

1/2 cup (65 g) flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp (25 g) sugar

3/4 cup (100g) Graham flour

Grated rind 1/2 (organic) orange

7/8 cup (205 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice (1 cup minus 2 tbsp)

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tbsp (30 ml) shortening (extra-virgin olive oil)

Orange Tea

1 thin-skinned (organic) orange

1 qt (1 l) freshly brewed hot tea

Make the Muffins: Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C); if you have cast iron muffin pans preheat them in the oven as well.

Sift flour, salt and sugar; add Graham flour and grated rind of orange. Dissolve the baking soda in the orange juice stirring
until it begins to get frothy, then add the shortening. Pour orange juice mixture onto flour mixture and mix well, then pour the batter quickly into (hot), greased muffin-pans, place the pans in the oven and immediately lower the temperature to 400°F (200°C) and bake for about 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Make the Orange Tea: Slice the orange into paper thin slices, discarding the seeds. Place the slices into a glass jug and pour the hot tea over them. Serve hot or cold and sweetened to taste.

Cornmeal Muffins (Homegrown Gourmet #5)

Made with yellow corn meal and a touch of sugar, the corn muffin is the official muffin of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

                                roundup is HERE

This is my entry for the Homegrown Gourmet #5 blog event hosted this time by Gretchen from Canela & Comino and initiated by Bean’s Bistro.

Gretchen’s theme was Quick Breads and she specified that each entry should “somehow represent your home region, hometown, state, or area. Representation can feature a local ingredient, be a traditional dish from your area, or be a creative twist”.

I write from the beautiful State of Massachusetts, so for this event my entry could only be Corn Muffins, which are the official muffin of the Commonwealth.

This recipe gives buttery, very light muffins, with a pleasant crunchiness provided by the stone ground cornmeal, and a nice touch of sweetness. Ideally, they should be baked in cast iron muffin pans, which should be heated in the oven before being filled with batter. This would ensure that the muffins turn out crispy on the outside and nice and spongy inside. Otherwise, regular muffin pans will work almost as well, of course without preheating.

From the original recipe by Lucia Gray Swett

In: “New England breakfast breads, luncheon and tea biscuits, 1891—USA

Ingredients (the recipe can be halved)

1/2 cup (115 g) butter + a little extra to grease the pans

1/2 cup (100 g) white sugar

4 eggs, divided

2 cups (245 g) yellow cornmeal (stone ground)

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups (250 g) AP flour (unbleached)

2-1/4 (535 ml) cups milk

3 tsp baking powder OR 1 tsp baking soda + 2 tsp cream of tartar

Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). If you are using cast iron muffin pans preheat them in the oven.

If you are using baking powder, sift it with the AP flour. If you are using baking soda and cream of tartar sift the cream of tartar with the AP flour and dissolve the baking soda in some of the milk. Sift the cornmeal with the salt.

Cream the butter with the sugar, add the yolks, the AP flour (sifted with either baking powder or cream of tartar), and part of the milk (not the amount in which you dissolved the baking soda, in case you used it). Add the cornmeal and salt, then add the remaining milk (the amount in which you dissolved the baking soda if using it). Mix the ingredients quickly, by hand. Finally fold in the egg whites, beaten until stiff.

Grease the muffin pans with melted butter (using a small brush is best). Do this carefully if you preheated the cast iron pans in the oven. Fill each muffin cup for about 2/3 and quickly place them in the oven. Immediately lower the temperature to 400°F (200°C) bake until the muffins are puffed and golden, about 15-20 minutes. Serve warm.

P.S. The book recommended using cream of tartar + baking soda as they would give better results than baking powder, and I found this to be true.

 

Raised Oatmeal Muffins

These muffins have a moist, spongy crumb, a touch of sweetness and the good flavor of oats. Great eaten warm as soon as they are out of the oven or split and toasted and spread with jam.

 

From the original recipe by Fannie M. Farmer
In “The Boston Cooking School Cook Book” 1896–USA

These muffins should be baked in a gem pan, similar to a muffin pan but with shallow cups. Cast iron gem pans are still made, easy to find and not at all expensive. Earthenware or glass ramekins, muffin rings placed in a baking pan, or regular muffin pans will work as well.

Ingredients

3/4 cup (180 ml) milk, scalded

1/4 (50 g) cup sugar

1/2 tsp (3 g) salt

1/8 tsp (.5 g) active dry yeast

1/4 cup (60 ml) milk, lukewarm

2-1/2 cups (315 g) all purpose flour (unbleached)

1 cup cooked oatmeal, cold (I used 1/2 cup (80 g) steel cut Scottish-style oats (pinhead oats) cooked in 1-1/2 cups (355 ml) milk + 1/8 tsp (0.75 g) salt for about 20 minutes–you can use any type of oats you like as long as they are not instant. Cook them following directions given on the package)

Add sugar and salt to scalded milk and set aside to cool. Dissolve yeast in the lukewarm milk and set aside. Place the cooked oatmeal in a bowl and mix well with the flour. Add the milk and yeast mixture, and finally the milk mixed with sugar and salt. Beat the mixture throughly, then cover the bowl and let rise overnight. The following morning grease a muffin pan (or ramekins, muffin rings placed in a baking pan, or a cast iron gem pan) and fill each cup 2/3 full.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and leave the filled pan on the stove to warm up. The muffins batter will rise quickly: when the batter fills the cups to the top it is ready to bake. Bake for about 25-30 minutes.

These muffins stay fresh for a long time thanks to both a slow fermentation and the cooked oatmeal. They also freeze well.