Fruity Mini Muffins

The lovely people at Baking Mad sent me a bottle of orange flower water recently which is an ingredient I’d always been a bit confused by.  Well let a novice tell you about it.  It’s made from orange blossom as the name would suggest but I have to admit I was expecting a flowery perfume flavour.  Not a bit of it, the flavour is like the zesty fragrance when you peel an orange.  I have to admit it wasn't an immediate hit and I think I need some more experimentation time.

So, if you happen to have a bottle in the cupboard, why not whip up a batch of these muffins?  No added sugar but a touch of honey in them (so not suitable for under 1s) but I have found a natural affinity between the orange zestiness and honey.

I’ve used mixed dried fruit in this recipe which I don’t use a lot but the candied peel with the orange flower water do enhance each other.  Feel free to increase the amount of orange flower water if you do really like it, I was a little cautious to start with!

Fruity Muffins – Makes 18 or so

Ingredients

80g Grated Carrot

150g Mixed Fruit

2 Eggs

4 tbsp Milk

2 tbsp Vegetable oil

¼ tsp Orange flower water

1 tsp Cinnamon

150g SR flour

½ tsp Grated Nutmeg

A spritz of lemon juice

1 tsp Runny honey

Method

Preheat the oven to 180oC (fan) and 200oC (conventional.)

Mix the carrot, eggs, milk, oil, orange flower water, lemon juice and honey.  In a separate bowl, mix the flour, fruit, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Then mix the wet and dry mixes together until just combined, no need to overmix.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until browned and spring back when lightly touched.

I’m going to continue to have a play with this as an ingredient and I’ve already got an idea on adapting some other of my recipes so keep your eyes peeled (if you’ll excuse the pun!)

In summary it's an ingredient I'm still a little confused by but I'm intrigued and I think there's more to come.

A Belated Merry Christmas to all of my readers!  I hope it brought you everything you desire but most of all, I hope it's been a time for fun and family and the warmth that only being with the ones you love can bring.