Karen Gordon: Baking recipes celebrates flavour of oranges

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Oranges are like sunshine around this time of year. With their warm orangey shade and their deliciously bright flavour, they add a little happiness to the day. There’s something about oranges and baking that makes my kitchen smell heavenly. Unlike lemons and limes, I love oranges because they add both sweetness and a refreshing zing to baked goods.

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There is a some science when it comes to baking with oranges. The flavour of citrus fruits tends to dull when baked. This is particularly challenging when it comes to the orange since it has a milder flavour. The secret to preserving the orange flavour is in the zest. No orange oil, extract or powder flavouring compares to the flavour obtained from orange zest itself. For recipes that call for freshly squeezed orange juice and zest, it’s always best to zest first, then squeeze because it’s impossible to grate an orange once it loses its shape.

Orange Blossom Muffins with Honey Butter

These orange blossom muffins are light, tender, and crumbly. They are delicious on their own but extra scrumptious when slathered with a generous pat of homemade honey butter. They are big on orange flavour with just a hint of honey. The crumb is like that of cornbread. These muffins are great for breakfast as they aren’t overly sweet. The raw sugar topping is my favourite part of the muffin as it adds crunch and a little extra sweetness.

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2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour

1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar

1 tbsp. (15 ml) baking powder

1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) salt

2 eggs

1/4 cup (60 ml) milk

1/4 cup (60 ml) orange juice

1/3 cup (80 ml) honey, warmed in microwave to liquid state

1/4 cup (57 g) unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil

Zest of 1 orange

Raw sugar or Turbinado sugar

Homemade Honey Butter

1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

2-1/2 tbsp. (53 g) honey

1-1/2 tbsp. (13 g) confectioners’ sugar

1/4 tsp (1 ml) fine sea salt

Move oven rack to the middle job and preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a muffin tin with muffin liners and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, add flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine. In another bowl, add eggs, milk, orange juice, honey, butter, olive oil and orange zest. Whisk well.

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Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Then using a silicone spatula, fold the ingredients together until just about combined. Mixture will look lumpy with a couple of floury spots.

Using a 1/3 cup ice cream scoop, divide mixture into 8 muffin tins. Sprinkle each top of the batter with ¼ teaspoon of raw sugar.

Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 7 minutes, then without opening the oven door, turn the oven temperature down to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and continue baking for another 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly in the muffin pan before moving them to a baking rack to finish cooling.

Serve warm with homemade honey butter.

For the honey butter

Using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, beat butter until light and creamy. Add the honey, confectioners’ sugar, and salt. Continue beating until the mixture is completely smooth. Serve with warm muffins. To store, place honey butter in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

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Makes eight muffins.

Orange Raspberry and Yogurt Swirl Loaf

Bright, citrusy orange is paired with tart raspberries and creamy yogurt to make a wonderful breakfast or afternoon tea loaf. I love how the sweetness of the orange is cut with a little tartness from the raspberries, while the yogurt makes this loaf moist, dense, and tender. Fresh and frozen raspberries may be used in the recipe. If using frozen, do not thaw the raspberries. Simply fold the frozen raspberries, just as you would the fresh berries, right into the batter.

1-3/4 cups (210 g) all-purpose flour

1 tbsp. (15 ml) baking powder

1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) salt

2 large eggs

1/3 cup (olive oil

1 cup (285g) plain Greek yogurt

3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar

1/3 cup (80 ml) orange juice

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Zest of 1 orange

1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract

6 oz. (170 g) fresh or frozen raspberries

1 tbsp. (15 ml) all-purpose flour

Easy Orange Glaze

1 1/2 cups (375 ml) confectioners’ sugar

2 tbsp. (15 ml) pulp-free orange juice

Move oven rack to the middle job and preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Lightly grease an 8-1/2 x 4-1/2-inch loaf pan. Then line the pan with parchment paper leaving the pan with at least 3” of parchment paper overhanging on both of the long sides. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.

In another bowl, add eggs, olive oil, yogurt, sugar, orange juice and orange zest. Whisk until well combined.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Using a silicone spatula, fold the mixture until just about combined. Do not overmix.

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Transfer 1/3 of the batter into another bowl. Add the frozen raspberries and 1 tablespoon flour. Using a silicone spatula, fold the mixture to combine. Do not overmix.

To create the swirl, layer the prepared loaf pan with a layer of orange batter. Then add half of the raspberry batter. Top with a layer of the orange batter followed by another layer of the raspberry batter, finishing off with a layer of orange batter. Then using a butter knife, create swirls on top.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until the loaf is golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out clean.

Place on a wire rack and let cool in the pan for about 20 minutes, before using the parchment overhang as handles to lift the loaf out of the pan. Move the loaf onto a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, remove the parchment, and transfer the loaf back onto the wire rack. Transfer wire rack with loaf onto a baking tray. Using a skewer, generously prick the top of the loaf. Drizzle orange glaze evenly over the loaf, filling the holes and allowing any excess glaze to drip off. Allow glaze to set, about 45 minutes, before slicing.

For the orange glaze, add the confectioners’ sugar and orange juice to a mixing bowl. Using a spoon, stir mixture until smooth. If the mixture is dry, add added orange juice in 1/2 teaspoon increments as needed and continue stirring before adding any more juice. The right consistency is achieved when the glaze falls in a continuous stream, like a ribbon, back into the bowl when the spoon is lifted.

Makes one loaf.

Karen Gordon is a food blogger from North Vancouver who shares her recipe creations online at karentology.com and on Instagram at @karen.t.ology