Kristin's Orange Poppyseed Muffins

Light and fluffy muffins! And gluten-free! You won't believe your taste-buds.  I've never been a fan of dense, fat muffins.  In fact, I usually didn't like muffins because they tended to be overpowering in their denseness.  I prefer my muffins to be light and delicate, so they melt in my mouth.  These are fabulously light and fluffy and oh, so delicious.  These muffins go quickly, so if you were hoping to share, double your recipe (or hide them). Enjoy!

Orange Poppy seed Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

Preheat oven to 400F. Line muffin tin with paper liners.

Mix dry ingredients in a medium bowl:

½ cup brown rice flour

¼ cup white rice flour

¼ cup tapioca starch

¼ cup potato starch

1/3 cup sugar

1 - 1 ¼ tsp xanthan gum

1 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 ½ Tbsp poppy seeds (optional, you can just make orange muffins)

Mix wet ingredients in a large bowl:

Zest of 2 oranges (set aside ½ tsp for glaze, if desired)

Juice of 2 oranges + water to make 8 oz total (set aside 3-4 tsp for glaze, if desired)

3 oz oil (canola or extra light olive oil)

2 eggs

Add dry ingredients into wet ingredients and whisk until blended. There will still be a few small lumps left, but don’t worry about it.  It’s best not to over-mix muffins.

Pour batter evenly into 12 muffin cups. They should be about ¾ full.

Bake at 400F for 15-20 minutes, until nicely golden on top.  Remove from oven and set to cool on a cooling rack. Top with orange glaze, below.

Orange Glaze

Mix together in a small bowl:

3-4 tsp orange juice

½ tsp zest of orange (optional)

½ cup powdered sugar

Spread over warm or cool muffins.  Enjoy!