Orange and Poppy Seed Muffins

Got muffin to do? Quit muffin around and get your bake on! I recently had a big bowl of oranges to use up, and then I realised I hadn’t seen or had anything with poppy seeds in ages…and these lovely things are what resulted. Ahh orange and poppy seeds…they’re one of those combinations that just work so well (especially when you make the most of the delicious oranges by using the juice, pulp and zest). These make for the perfect snack to take when you’re out and about, but my favourite way to have them is warmed up in the oven with a cup of tea or hot cacao. PS they make your kitchen…entire house in fact…smell amaaazing!

1 cup spelt flour
¾ cup buckwheat flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoons ground ginger
3 tablespoons poppy seeds
3 tablespoons orange rind (organic and unwaxed if possible)
1 cup fresh orange juice (including the pulp)
1 egg, beaten (for an egg free version I sometimes swap the egg for 1 cup of carrot, steamed and mashed – the texture is a little different but so delicious)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ cup rice malt syrup

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celcius conventional
2. Sift the spelt and buckwheat flour together
3. Gently stir in the rest of the dry ingredients
4. Whisk together wet ingredients, including the orange rind
5. Gently fold wet mixture into dry mixture
6. Spoon into a lined or greased muffin tin
7. Sprinkle a little extra poppy seeds and cinnamon on top of each muffin
8. Pop them in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean (and your kitchen / house smells deeeelicious)
9. Leave to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling (or have one while they’re still warm…so good!)
10.  Enjoy!