Poppy Seed Orange Muffins

 This recipe from the "Land O Lakes 75th Anniversary Cookbook" is a keeper; not too sweet for lunch with a summer salad, but also excellent for coffeetime.  Very easy to make, you can measure your dry ingredients into a covered mixing bowl and let it set overnight; measure the liquid ingredients in a covered measuring cup and refrigerate.  While your oven heats for breakfast, you can add your softened butter and mix these up PDQ.  
I don’t usually use baking cups, but they are a form of parchment paper, after all, and make the muffins easy to serve and keep your towel-lined basket cleaner.  Tip your muffins in the pan to cool them without getting soggy bottoms.

 The recipe calls for mixing one minute?  I mixed them 15 seconds and got perfect muffins, slightly rounded and pebbly on top, no tunnels, very tender – just what my old baking instructors wanted to see.   

                        Poppy Seed Orange Muffins

  1 1/3   cups  flour, all-purpose -- 6 ounces

  1          cup  sugar -- 7 ounces

     1/2   cup  sour cream

     1/3   cup  butter -- softened

  1          large  egg

  1          tablespoon  poppy seeds

     1/2   teaspoon  salt

     1/2   teaspoon  baking soda

  2          tablespoons  grated orange peel

  2          tablespoons  orange juice             

• Heat oven to 400°.  In large mixer bowl, combine all ingredients.  Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, just until moistened (1 minute).  ( I suggest 15 seconds).
• Spoon the batter (I used a size 24 scoop) into a greased or paper-lined muffin pan.  Bake for 17-22 minutes or until lightly browned.

2011 Cost:  $2.06 or 17¢ each

Per Serving: 193 Calories; 8g Fat (36.8% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 28g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 36mg Cholesterol; 205mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1/2 Grain (Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 1/2 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.