Orange Bonnet Muffins

By cecelia26_

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/8 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. Sunkist® navel orange zest
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1/4 cup plus 4 Tbsp freshly squeezed Sunkist navel orange juice, divided (from 2 oranges)
• 1/2 cup 2% milk
• 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tsp. pure orange extract
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup orange marmalade
• 2 to 3 Sunkist navel oranges, peel and pith removed, cut into rounds*
• 6 large grapes, halved
• 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 2 to 4 Tbsp. freshly squeezed Sunkist navel orange juice
• Toothpicks

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350⁰ F; position rack in lower third of oven.
Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with butter, or line tin with paper muffin cups; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and zest until thoroughly combined; set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, butter, ¼ cup orange juice, milk, and extracts until thoroughly combined. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and add egg mixture to dry ingredients; whisk to combine. Using a spatula, gently fold nuts into batter. Add marmalade, folding into batter with as few strokes as possible, just to blend in. Do not over mix.
Using an ice cream scoop (or similar size spoon), transfer batter to muffin tin, filling cups 2/3 full. Transfer muffin tin to oven and bake for approximately 18 to 20 minutes or until lightly golden on top; toothpick inserted in center should come out clean. Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, attach grape halves to rounds of orange, positioning grape in center of each round with a toothpick, to create a fruit “bonnet.” Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk confectioner’s sugar and 2 tablespoons orange juice to create an icing glaze for muffins (add additional juice to achieve preferred icing consistency); set aside.
When muffins have cooled, drizzle a tablespoon or more of icing over each. Top each muffin with an orange and grape “bonnet,” securing toothpick down into muffin. Serve.


Note: To make orange rounds, turn orange on its side and slice both ends off; discard ends. Stand orange upright and carefully cut away peel and pith, following natural curve of fruit. Turn peeled orange on its side again and slice into rounds.