Valencia Orange Muffins

In season from November until February, locally grown Valencia oranges make great sweet muffins.

MAKES 10 MUFFINS

2 Valencia oranges, washed and dried

75g butter

2 cups self-raising flour

½ cup caster sugar,

1 egg, lightly beaten

250ml (1 cup) milk

10 x 5g (1 teaspoon) cubes of traditional cream cheese 10 small slices of orange for topping

TO FINISH

¼ cup orange juice 2 tablespoons caster sugar ground cinnamon to sprinkle, optional 1 Heat the oven to 200C. Place 10 large unbleached paper baking cases (cups) in a muffin tray.

2 Finely grate the zest of both oranges and set aside. Melt the butter and allow to cool.

3 Sift the flour into a large bowl and add the sugar. Mix together the egg, milk, orange zest and cooled butter. Add to the flour and, using a spatula, gently mix together, being careful not to overmix. (Be careful not to beat as you will end up with muffins that form peaks and become tough as they bake).

4 Spoon the mixture into the paper cases. Pop a cube of cream cheese into each muffin, pressing down a little into the mixture. Place an orange slice on top of each muffin. Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until the muffins are golden on top and springy to the touch.

5 While the muffins bake, place the orange juice and caster sugar in a small bowl — no need to mix. Remove the cooked muffins from the oven and while they are hot, brush the tops with the orange and sugar mixture. Place muffins on a wire rack to cool.

6 Serve sprinkled with ground cinnamon if wished. Orange and cinnamon make a great flavour combination.