Mandarin Muffins with Chia Seeds
Chia seeds, fresh Mandarin zest & juice in every muffin, finished with Mandarin glaze. These Mandarin muffins are delightfully bright & tangy
Ingredients
FOR THE DRY INGREDIENTS
- 2¼ cup plain flour (all purpose flour) (NOTE 1)
- 1¼ cup caster sugar (superfine sugar or regular white sugar) (NOTE 2)
- 2 tbsp chia seeds (black or white) (NOTE3)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
FOR THE WET INGREDIENTS
- 2 large eggs
- 100 ml light olive oil (¼ cup + 2 tbsp)
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (not skim, or low-fat)
- ⅓ cup milk (full cream/ whole milk)
- ¼ cup Mandarin juice (NOTE 4)
- 2 tbsp Mandarin zest (NOTE 4)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
FOR THE MANDARIN GLAZE
- 1 cup icing sugar (powdered sugar) (NOTE 5)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp Mandarin juice (may need more or less)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F). Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases and spray the inside of the cases with oil to help prevent the muffins from sticking.In a large bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients together until well combined. In a separate bowl, lightly whisk the eggs, then whisk in the remaining wet ingredients together until well combined.
- Make a well in the dry ingredients, then pour in the wet ingredients. Fold to combine just until there are no dry bits of flour showing. Don't over-mix the batter as this will make tough muffins. Divide the batter evenly in each muffin case, then bake for 16 to 18 minutes. The muffins are done when a skewer comes out clean when inserted in the middle.Leave muffins in tin for 5 minutes, then remove them and place on a cooling rack. Allow them to cool to room temperature before topping them with the glaze.
- For the glaze - Place the icing sugar in a bowl, then add the vanilla extract and a tablespoon of Mandarin juice. Mix until it turns into a thick paste, then add a little more juice at a time whilst stirring. The finished glaze should slowly drizzle down from a whisk. You may need more or less juice and icing sugar to get the glaze to the right consistency. If it's too runny, add more sugar, or if it's too thick, add more juice. Drizzle the icing over each muffin.
Notes
(NOTE 1) Plain flour (All-purpose flour) has no salt or leavening (raising agents) such as baking powder mixed in.
(NOTE 2) Caster sugar (superfine sugar) - Caster sugar is just white sugar but with finer granules. For this recipe, you could swap caster sugar with regular white granulated sugar.
(NOTE 3) Chia seeds - White or black chia seeds would work. You could swap chia seeds for equal amounts of poppy seeds if preferred.
(NOTE 4) Mandarin and juice - Choose medium to large mandarins that are on the tart side with firm peel. These mandarins are harder to peel by hand but are easier to zest. Use a mircoplane (fine grater) and only grate the colour part of the peel because the pith (white part) is bitter. You could easily swap mandarin juice and zest for equal amounts using orange or lemon for these muffins.
(NOTE 5) Icing sugar (powdered sugar, confectionary sugar) - Icing sugar usually comes in two forms: icing sugar mixture and pure icing sugar. Icing sugar mixture is softer than pure icing sugar because there's starch or flour added to it. For this recipe, you could use either.
Leftovers - Transfer muffins into a sealed container and store them in a cool place at room temperature for up to 3 days. If it's humid, store the muffins in the fridge.
I've used a third-party application to calculate the calories and nutritional information, so please use this as an approximate guide only.
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements. For specific details and conversions, visit our Australian Cooking Measurements page.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 MuffinsCalories: 314kcalCarbohydrates: 52gProtein: 6gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 164mgPotassium: 98mgFiber: 1gSugar: 32gVitamin A: 78IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 90mgIron: 2mg