Orange Muffins

For days, weeks and what seemed like months, my daughter has been asking me to make orange muffins. I have a feeling she saw this in a magazine or on TV and decided she wanted to have a go at it. The only problem is I cook but I cannot bake desserts to save my life. I've been teased about making brownies hard enough to build houses. The only thing I can decently bake is my grandmother's banana pie. In spite all this, I am a firm believer in fueling my daughter's interest. My ears were also ready to explode with all the "please mommy" and I knew I've delayed it enough.

I searched online for the easiest orange muffin recipe I could find and I wasn't surprised to find it in allrecipes.com. I followed this recipe to the very last detail. And I am very proud to say that I am now a successful orange muffin baker. 

I can bake two things, Yay!

Here's the recipe in case the link fails to work.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
• 2/3 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup ground walnuts (optional)
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, white sugar and grated orange peel. Stir in orange juice, 1/2 cup melted butter, eggs and chopped nuts.
2. Pour into 12 muffin cups.
3. Blend 1 tablespoon melted margarine, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle on top of each muffin. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven for 20-25 minutes. Serve hot.