Mandarin Holiday Muffins
Soft mandarin orange muffins with craisins and nuts, baked in tall tulip cups.
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 113 g 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 150 g 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 60 ml 1/4 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons reserved mandarin syrup or juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Fruit & Add-Ins
- 1 can 10-11 oz / 300-312 g mandarin oranges in juice or light syrup, drained well
- 50-60 g 1/3 cup craisins
- 50-60 g 1/2 cup chopped nuts
Dry Ingredients
- 270 g 2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon orange or mandarin zest optional
Topping
- 2-3 tablespoons turbinado sugar
- Extra chopped nuts
- Small mandarin pieces optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a muffin tin with tall tulip-style cups.
- Drain mandarins 10-15 minutes. Reserve 2 tablespoons syrup. Pat fruit dry; cut large segments in half.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and zest. Remove 1 tablespoon of this for coating the craisins/nuts.
- In a large bowl whisk butter and sugar until thick. Add eggs one at a time. Add milk, reserved syrup, and vanilla.
- Add dry ingredients to wet. Stir gently. Batter should be thick. Add 1-2 tablespoons extra flour if loose.
- Toss craisins and nuts with the reserved tablespoon of flour. Fold into batter. Fold mandarins in gently.
- Fill tulip cups just under two-thirds full. Top with a mandarin piece if you want. Sprinkle turbinado sugar + nuts.
- Bake 22-26 minutes until golden. Toothpick should come out with moist crumbs. Internal temp: 195-200°F.
- Cool 10 minutes in the pan, then move to a rack.
Notes
Want sweeter muffins? Use 170 g sugar (3/4 cup + 2 tbsp).
Nut-free: omit nuts and add more craisins.
Boost the citrus: rub the zest into the sugar before mixing.
Stays moist 2-3 days thanks to the mandarins.
Sometimes the best recipes come from what's in your pantry and what shows up at your door. These muffins weren't planned. They just happened. And that's how baking should feel sometimes.