Orange you glad?

Since I don't have anything Halloween-themed post this year, lemme just make it up to you with these somewhat fall-themed muffins instead haha! I don't know why I'm just so not in the mood to have anything Halloween-related, might be because I'm not really feeling it this year? Hehe, sorry to disappoint all those who are into the spooky szn but I'm just more into the holiday szn, ya know?

Let's get back into the muffins, shall we? I have here some yummy muffins that definitely highlight oranges and berries. I surprisingly liked the combination of orange and berries from my scone recipe but since that was sort of a bust, I just decided to take the same flavor combo and turn it into muffins. And yay, this turned out better than I was expecting! Though this recipe still needs some tweaking, the final result I got was not bad at all. Even though the muffins were softer than usual, they were still moist and flavored beautifully by the orange juice. I also love the ribbons of orange zest throughout the muffins and the dried berries in the mix really complement the orange flavor and adds a hint of tang as well. Plus, the cinnamon-y streusel on top just ties everything together! Really loved having these muffins alongside my hot afternoon tea. If you're into these flavors, I know you're gonna like this. Who needs pumpkin when you have orange and berries, am I right?

Enjoy!

ORANGE & BERRIES CRUMBLE MUFFINS

(adapted from Emerils.com)

Yield: 12

Crumble:

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

1/4 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts)

1/4 cup brown sugar, slightly packed

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon fresh orange zest

Muffins:

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

a pinch of salt

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg, room temp

3 tablespoons fresh orange juice

3/4 cup milk

2 teaspoons orange zest

1/3 cup dried mixed berries

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a 12-cup muffin pan. Set aside.

Crumble: Mix all ingredients in a bowl and let sit in the fridge while you work on the muffin batter.

Muffins:

1. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

2. In another bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add in egg and beat until just combined. Add in flour mix and orange zest.

3. Combine milk and orange juice in a cup and slowly add it in while slowly beating the dry ingredients + butter mix. Mix everything until no flour streaks remain. Fold in the mixed berries.

4. Pour batter into the prepared muffin pan and top with the prepared crumble.

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

6. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!