As part of Muffin Madness, I challenged myself to make Blueberry-Orange muffins. I wanted to include candied orange peel tossed with ground cloves, sprinkled on top of the muffins. After doing a little research, I found the website Food Pairings that indicated cardamom was a good match for blueberries and bitter orange peel, so I decided to stir the candied orange peel into the batter along with some ground cardamom.

The candied orange peel I purchased, however, was not high quality and contained a large amount of pith. The candied orange sunk to the bottom of each muffin, and the original recipe I used called for granulated white sugar instead of brown sugar, so the muffins themselves were quite dry and flavorless. It took three attempts to get this recipe right, which included swapping in brown sugar, using fresh orange juice and fresh orange zest to make the muffins moist, and tinkering with the amount of blueberries for maximum impact.

Here is the final result! Use frozen blueberries for best flavor and texture (thaw first).

Blueberry-Orange Muffins
adapted from Cooking Light

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 large egg
1 orange, zested and juiced
1 cup blueberries

Preheat oven to 350F and prepare a 12-cup muffin tin by coating it in cooking spray.

In a medium size bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cardamom.

In a large bowl, combine butter, buttermilk, egg, orange juice and orange zest. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Add half of the flour mixture and beat to combine. Add the second half of the flour mixture and beat to combine. Fold in blueberries.

Spoon mixture into prepared muffin tins, filling the cups about 3/4 of the way. Bake for 25 minutes, until golden brown or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center.

Makes about 12 muffins.

Muffin Madness continues with more Fall flavors! This recipe uses roasted butternut squash to keep the muffins moist. The combination of spices might seem overwhelming, but it balances well with the rich butternut and bright orange flavors. The orange here is subtle, though can be intensified by adding more zest if desired. The original recipe was for an 8×8 inch cake, though it adapted easily to muffins. I changed some of the amounts to ensure the muffins would “stick” together easily. These muffins will also rise quickly, so do not overfill the muffin tins.

Butternut Squash note: for 1 cup of butternut squash puree, buy the smallest butternut squash you can find (or, if available, but half of a squash). Halve the squash and scoop out the seeds. Place, peel side down, on a baking sheet and cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes, until tender. Allow squash to cool, scoop out the flesh, and mash with a fork. Reserve the remaining squash for another recipe (or another batch of muffins!).

Butternut-Orange Spice Muffins
adapted from Cooking Light

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup butternut squash puree
zest and juice from one small orange (about 1 tsp zest and 1/4 cup juice)

Preheat oven to 325F and coat a 12-muffin tin with cooking spray.

In a medium size bowl, combine flour, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla extract. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Add half of the flour mixture, beating just until combined. Add butternut puree, orange zest, juice, and the rest of the flour mixture, beat until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin pan, fill each tin about halfway. Bake for 25 minutes, until golden brown or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center.

Makes about 20 muffins.

For some reason unbeknownst to me, the grocery store had big, beautiful, emerald green zucchini and I decided to turn them into muffins. This recipe was originally for quick bread, but easily translates into muffins with a few adjustments. These muffins are the last gasp of summer, with earthy zucchini and bright flavors from lemon and pineapple. They are light and also unbelievably moist (and pretty much idiot-proof as far as baking goes). Cinnamon adds a richness and fills the kitchen with that wonderful fresh-baked scent.

Zucchini-Pineapple Muffins
adapted from Cooking Light

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups grated zucchini (about 1 1/2 medium zucchini)
2/3 cup canola oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon zest (finely grated lemon rind)
2 cans (8 oz each) crushed pineapple, drained

Preheat oven to 350F and coat muffin tins with cooking spray.

Spoon flour into measuring cup and level with a knife. Combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Whisk until combined.

In a separate bowl, beat eggs with an electric mixer on medium speed until frothy. Add sugar, grated zucchini, canola oil, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Beat until just blended. Add zucchini mixture to flour mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon just until all dry ingredients are moist and combine. Fold in pineapple.

Spoon into prepared muffin tins (about 1/4 cup per muffin cup). Bake (one sheet at a time) for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Allow to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 24 muffins (and only about 200 calories per muffin!).

Muffin Madness continues with this fall-flavor inspired creations. The original recipe was for quick bread, and I made some additions to give it some bigger flavors. When I bake, I tend to gravitate toward recipes that have bold flavors rather than subtle. While tastes vary from person to person, it seems many people enjoy a burst of flavor.

Originally, the only spices in the recipe were 1/4 tsp of cinnamon and 1/4 tsp of nutmeg, which for an entire batch of muffins is just not enough. I upped the cinnamon, added ginger and orange zest, and topped the muffins with cinnamon-sugar.

Most “quick bread” recipes (breads without yeast) can be converted into muffins. A general rule of thumb is to fill the muffin cups 3/4 full and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350-375F.

Sweet Potato & Fresh Cranberry Muffins
adapted from Cooking Light magazine

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
3/4 cup canned pureed sweet potato (from a can)
3 eggs
1/3 cup orange juice
1 tsp orange zest
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped

Preheat oven to 350F and spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, combine sweet potato puree, eggs, orange juice, and melted butter. Add to dry ingredients and stir until just moist. Fold in cranberries.

Spoon batter into muffin tin, filling each cup about 3/4 full. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar or chopped nuts, if desired. Bake 20-25 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Allow to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before serving.

Makes approximately 18 muffins.

Welcome to Muffin Madness! Let’s kick things off with the perfect fall muffin, made with the flavors of pumpkin, cherry, and autumn spices. These muffins are perfect for breakfast or a little after-dinner dessert.

The original recipe from Cooking Light magazine calls for dried sweetened cranberries, but I substituted dried cherries (regular or golden raisins would also fit the bill if you are so inclined). I also increased the amount slightly because 2/3 of a cup just didn’t seem like enough to distribute the cherries evenly into the muffins.

Rather than relying on butter or tons of oil, this recipe uses pumpkin puree and low-fat buttermilk to keep the muffins deliciously moist (only 2 tablespoons of oil required). If you do not have the individual spices for this recipe, you can substitute approximately 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice mixture with the same results (check out this recipe to make your own pumpkin pie spice).

Pumpkin-Cherry Muffins
adapted from Cooking Light

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 cup sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 cup dried cherries, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 375F and spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, ginger, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and cloves. Whisk to combine.

In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, pumpkin puree, buttermilk, light brown sugar, oil, and egg. Using an electric mixture, beat 3 minutes on medium speed until batter is well blended. Gradually add flour mixture to bowl and beat at low speed just until all ingredients are combined.  Fold in cherries.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove muffins from pan immediately; place on a wire rack to cool.

Serve warm with a smear of butter, if desired (or top with a little cinnamon-sugar).