ORANGE & PISTACHIO MAGDALENAS

By susanwadle

Ingredients

• 2 Cups cake flour
• 1 Cup all-purpose flour
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 6 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 2/3 Cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted, plus more for dusting the cakes
• 2/3 Cup heavy (whipping) cream
• 1/2 Cup orange juice from Spanish Clementines
• 1 Cup light, fruity olive oil
• 2/3 cup pistachios, coarsely chopped
• 2 Tablespoons zest from Spanish Clementines, or more to taste
• 2 dashes of orange extract
• 1 dash of vanilla extract
• 2 Tablespoons of unsalted butter, for buttering the muffin tins.

Preparation

Step 1

Sift the cake and all-purpose flours, salt, and baking powder together in a mixing bowl

Place the eggs in a large warm mixing bowl and, using an electric mixer, beat them until fluffy, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add the 2 2/3’s cup confectioners’ sugar and continue beating at high speed until the eggs are pale yellow and approximately triple in volumes. This should take about 5 minutes. Working in batches, beat in the sifted flours, alternating with the cream, orange juice, and olive oil. Stir in the pistachios, orange juice, orange extract and vanilla extract. Cover the batter with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Stir the batter well before proceeding.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Generously butter the cups and top of the muffin tin of one 24-cup tin or two 12-cup mini muffin tins.

Fill the prepared muffin tins almost full with the batter. Bake the magdalenas on the center rack until they are light golden and a toothpick comes out clean 20 to 23 minutes (NOTE: Begin to watch carefully at about 18 minutes), switching the position of the tins after 10 minutes. Do not let the magdalenas over-bake. Let the magdalenas cool on a rack for about 20 minutes, then remove them from the tin(s). Serve the magdalenas warm, sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar.
Repeat filling and baking the muffin tins until you have used up the batter. This recipe should make approximately 18-24 magdelenas.
NOTE: Individual magdalenas can be successfully reheated the next morning in a microwave.