Blood Orange Poppy Seed Muffins

Pin It Here's to my first food post in a while, so I wanted to make it worth it.  The blood oranges around here are fantabulous!  They were especially juicy around the time when I actually made these muffins.  There were a few weekends in a row we were treating ourselves to delicious citrus juices. It's one of the best ways to brighten up the long, cold winter.  Not to mention, it gives that needed boost of vitamin C during the nasty cold and flu season.  Speaking of cold winter, it's snowing again in Brussels!

Best juice ever.  

Unfortunately now, they are now a little out of season, but I am still able to find them and they are still pretty tasty.  My favorite way to consume blood oranges is in the form of a martini.  Blood. Orange. Martinis.  Yes, please.  I could also appreciate consuming them in the form of a mimosa, margarita or sangria.  I don't know why blood oranges make me think of cocktails.  Those all being out of the question now that I am knocked up (I am blaming that on the reason I have been so lazy, btw).... these muffins will have to do.  And they sure did.

I even made a pan of super cute mini muffins.  Finally, the perfect (and most fun) way to use up excess batter.  I used to make one giant muffin in a pyrex, but mini muffins are the way to go.

Delicious.  Melt in your mouth.  Mini Morsels of yumminess.  Yes, I really liked these muffins.

Blood Orange Poppy Seed Muffins 
barely adapted from For the Love of Cooking

Makes 12 regular and 12 mini muffins

Ingredients:

2/3 cup of white sugar
Zest of two small blood oranges
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup plain yogurt
Juice of 2 1/2  blood oranges (Mandatory: enjoy the left over half yourself)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup of unsalted butter, softened -( make sure it is soft, I had a little trouble being patient and my batter ended up being slightly lumpy... but the muffins were still delicious)
2 tbsp poppy seeds

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 F and grease muffin tin (mini one, too! So you don't forget - like I did initially).

Combine fragrant orange zest and sugar until thoroughly mixed.  Use your fingers if you have to.
Mix dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt) in a separate bowl.

Beat yogurt, juice, eggs, vanilla, butter and sugar zest together until uniform (or just slightly lumpy if you are impatient like me).  Slowly combine dry mixture with wet.  Add poppy seeds, gently folding them in.

Scoop batter evenly into tins.  Bake regular sized muffins for 15-18 minutes and small muffins for 10-12 or toothpick comes out clean.  Cool and serve.

Bon Appetit!

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