Greek orange and honey muffins

Ingredients

for syrup and glazed oranges:
2 small oranges
150 ml water
100 g golden caster sugar

cake:
2-3 middle size organic oranges (330 g boiled oranges)
50 g polenta
90 g almond meal
120 g fine wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp lavender
pinch of sea salt
2 eggs
250 g buttermilk or kefir
1 tsp orange blossom water
130 g melted and cooled butter
150 g honey

to serve:
you can serve like they are or put some creme fraiche, syrup and oranges on top

Prepare

For the syrup. Place sugar and water in a pot and boil. Add orange slices and boil for 20 minutes on medium heat. In the meantime, heat the oven to 150°; place parchment paper in a pan. Take out the slices, place in the pan in one layer and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Take out from the oven and let cool. Reserve the syrup.

Place oranges into a pot, pour over the water so that oranges are covered and boil for an hour. Drain and let cool for a few hours (I let them cool for 12h). Afterwards, place them into a blender and blend until a rough puree consistency. 

Preheat the oven to 200°. Line the muffin tins with muffin papers or brush generously with butter.

In a bowl, add polenta, almond meal, flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and lavender and mix. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, oranges, buttermilk, orange blossom water, honey and butter and mix. Gradually add the wet mix to the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated – don’t over mix. 

Fill the muffins 2/3 full. Place in the center of the oven and bake for 20-23 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. When done, remove and cool 5 minutes in the pan. Transfer to a cooling rack. Cool completely.

Recipe and pictures: Signe Meirane
Camera: Sony Alpha 7s