Orange Almond Blueberry Muffins

Hello! You've found me! After posting to The Fox Foodie blog for over a year I knew it was time for a change. I don't think I was looking much into the future when I created it, as I never thought of what I would do once I graduated from George Fox University and it was no longer as appropriate to call myself the Fox Foodie. 

Although as an alum I could still refer to myself with such a name, but I feel times are a changin' and so must this blog. I am now--as my friends would call me--a "real adult". I am no longer a college student, and am trying to make this blog reflect that (besides I needed to redeem myself after neglecting The Fox Foodie since February!).

How did I become "The Muffin Girl" you might ask? Well, besides being a cute and catchy name, if I had to pick one thing I enjoy cooking or baking the most I would have to say muffins! Muffins are the slightly healthier cousin of the cupcake (and if you know me at all you will know I have a slight obsession with cupcakes), and can be eaten for breakfast without too much guilt!

(Oh, and might I add that you should be relieved that I didn't add a catchy tagline to my blog title. Believe me I had typed out, "Do you know the muffin girl, who lives in Portland, Oregon?" But on second though I deleted it hoping to spare you all the laugh. )

No, this blog won't be a huge compilation of every muffin recipe known to mankind, because if it did that I would most likely grow quite tired of muffins and then in a year or so be stuck looking for a new blog name again...

So there I am, the muffin girl. Also known as, Kami.

I thought it would be quite fitting that my first official blog post as The Muffin Girl be a muffin recipe, so here is one I discovered recently. It is from one of my favorite cookbooks and made a very delightful muffin.

Enjoy!
-MG (The Muffin Girl)

Orange Almond Blueberry Muffins

From Baked

Grated zest of 1 orange (about 1 tablespoon)
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup whole milk
2 large egg whites
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup sliced, blanched almonds, finely ground
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cup sliced almonds, toasted
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 blueberries
Handful of sliced almonds for decorating

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine the orange zest, orange juice, milk, egg white, and butter. Whisk until combined.

In another medium bowl, combine the ground almonds, flour, sugar, toasted sliced almonds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the well, and stir until just combined. Fold in the blueberries.

Fill each muffin cup about three-quarters full, and arrange 3 or 4 sliced almonds on top of the batter in a floral decoration. Bake in the center of the oven for 15 minutes, or until the edges are brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Move the muffin pan to a wire rack, and let cool for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the muffins from the pan and let them finish cooling on the rack.

The muffins can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.