I love pomegranates but barely ever buy them because they are usually really expensive. A few weeks ago I was pleasantly surprised to find that that the grocery store was selling them at a reasonable price so I bought one. Duh. Anyway, that was a few weeks ago and I have had the pomegranate chillin in the fridge, just waiting for the perfect time to bust open and retrieve all the bright pink jewel like seeds. But I also kind of forgot about it. It was hiding behind a giant rutabaga. When I finally grabbed the rutabaga for some soup, the pomegranate reviled itself again. It was time, it needed to be eaten. And me being me, I can’t not share right? So I asked the mr what he wanted me to bake. He said muffins, and that is how I came to pomegranate orange and poppyseed muffins. Look at me, poster child for sharing good things. I should get a gold star!.
Anyway, these muffins came out awesome. First, they smell so good because anything baked smells good but the orange really shines and the smell is still lingering in my hair. Secondly, people really were into them. The mr said they were amazing when I finally let him eat one (two actually because I made them mini) and when I brought them over to Megans house for dinner, my Dad at one, then two, then three.. ..He stopped at 5, and this was after dinner. When a guy eats 5 muffins and is not a muffin man, you take it as a good sign.
Do yourself a solid this cold ass weekend and bake something. These muffins are a good place to start.
To the muffins!
The stuff. Flour, baking soda and powder, and salt in a bowl. Poppy seeds, an orange, a pomegranate, sugar, oil, vanilla extract, and a little apple cider vinegar.
First, remove arils from the pomegranate. Cut the fruit in half, hold the cut side face down in your hand and place over a large bowl. Take a wooden spoon and wack the outside of the fruit and the seeds will just fall out. And yes , the juice stains so watch out.
Next, whisk together all the dry ingredients and add in the sugar, poppyseeds and the zest of the orange. Whisk again to combine.
And then add in the oil, milk, vanilla, and the juice of the orange.
Mix until just combined. Don’t over mix or the muffins will get gummy.
Last but not least, fold in the pomegranate arils.
Such a pretty muffin batter.
Scoop batter into well greased muffin tins and pop into a preheated oven.
Orange and crimson and golden brown goodness.
Out of tins and onto a rack to cool
Pretty muffins
And now you eat.
Stay warm this weekend and bake some muffins.
-C
Pomegranate Orange Poppyseed Muffins
makes 24 mini muffins or 12 regular muffins
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup soy or plant based milk
1 orange
1/4 cup poppyseeds
1 cup pomegranate arils
Note. To easily remove arils (the seeds) from a pomegranate, cut it in half, hold the cut side down in the palm of your hand over a large bowl and wack the outside of the fruit with a wooden spoon. The arils will fall right out into the bowl.
Preheat oven to 350
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Zest the orange into the bowl and add in the poppyseed and whisk. Next add in the oil, juice of the orange (about 1/4 cup) the milk, and the vanilla. Mix until just combined. Fold in pomegranate seeds.
Scoop batter into well greased muffin pans and place in oven to bake until golden brown and a tester stuck into the muffins comes out clean, which should take about 15 minutes (22 fish if normal sized)
Once baked, pull form oven and pop from pans. Place on a wire rack to cool.
Eat at your leisure.