Excellent Orange Muffin

Ingredients

• Dry ingredients:
• 1 ¾ cup (210g) all purpose flour (or gluten free flour)
• ½ cup (56g) blanched fine almond flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 
  
• Wet ingredients:
• Zest from 2 large oranges
• 1 cup (200g) organic cane sugar (or granulated sugar)
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• ½ cup (100g) freshly squeezed orange juice (from about 2 large oranges)
• ⅓ cup (75g)  whole-milk or 2% Greek yogurt*
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• ½ cup (1 stick, 113g) salted butter, melted (or sub olive oil or avocado oil)
• Sprinkle with coarse sugar or organic sugar, if desired
• 
  
• Optional:
• 1/2 cup of mini or regular chocolate chips
• 1 heaping cup fresh or dried cranberries 
•  

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with liners and spray the inside of the liners with nonstick cooking spray or use silicone muffin tins.
  Mix together dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add chocolate chips and/or cranberries, if using to dry ingredients.  Set aside.
  

  • In a separate large bowl add the orange zest and sugar and use your fingers to rub the orange zest into the sugar for at least 30 seconds to infuse the sugar with orange flavour.
    
    
    Mix together wet ingredients: In the same large bowl with the orange zest and sugar, add in eggs, orange juice, yogurt, vanilla extract and almond extract. (Do not mix in the butter yet!) Whisk together until well-combined and smooth.
    
    
    • Combine: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until just combined. Finally, stir in the melted butter (or oil) until well combined. Do not overmix the batter, you just want to stir it until the batter is smooth.
      Bake: Divide batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle with  coarse sugar, if desired (but absolutely recommended). Bake for 15-19 minutes or until the tester comes out clean.
      Enjoy!