Orange Currant Muffins
By: Helen Pitlick
Published: Friday, December 10, 2010 - 1:02am

Ingredients




2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, very soft or melted and cooled
1 tablespoon lemon peel
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
2 teaspoons orange peel
3/4 cup dried fruit of your choice
2 eggs
1 cup orange juice

Preparation

1 To make mix: combine dry ingredients food processor and pulse to blend. Add butter, extract and peels; pulse in brief bursts until mixture resembles corn meal. Transfer to zipper bag and seal. Put dried fruit pieces in small zipper bag and seal. Make instructions to add orange juice and eggs. (If using dehydrated eggs, increase liquid appropriately). 2 To bake, combine mix with necessary liquid ingredients; fold in fruit. Divide among 12 muffin cups; bake at 400* about 25 minutes (or until tester comes out clean).

About


Cherries, apricots or currants work well for the dried fruit. Make your own gift muffin mix by combining everything except wet ingredients, then adding juice/water/milk on site. If you use powdered eggs (or egg whites) you can eliminate the need to buy an odd number of eggs. Package the mix in one zipper bag, any add-ins (dried fruit, nuts) in a smaller one, and include a dozen fancy muffin cups. It's a great gift! You can apply the principles to any muffin recipe - remember, for instance, that applesauce comes in little 1/2 cup containers which are easily packed, if you like apple (bran?) muffins.