Mad for mandarins: Zesty Mini Mandarin Muffins

I love this time of year, and its not because of the jackets and scarves that hide all of your sins. I'm obsessed with mandarins.

Those little orange orbs just brighten the boring winter fruit bowl and are so tasty.

Every year I vow to use the juicy fruit that overloads my grandparent's mandarin trees in my cooking. But we always seem to be overseas when they ripen.

This year I'm tied to the house thanks to Mini Me, so I can finally achieve this dream (sadly not one of my 101 in 1001 though). First up Mandarin Muffins.

Zesty Mandarin Mini Muffins

I made these mini muffins over the weekend for Kev's birthday afternoon tea. With all the tasty, but naughty, pies, sausage rolls, dips and Boston mud cakes mum served, these were a light and fluffy break.

I made mini ones, but it could easily make 12 large muffins. So easy and done in no time.

Zesty Mandarin Muffins

300g mandarins - peeled, plinth removed, deseeded and chopped

160g flour

75g sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

75g softened butter

125ml milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg, beaten

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180'C and grease a mini muffin tin.
2. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and gradually stir in butter until mixture becomes crumbly.
3. Add milk, vanilla extract and eggs and mix until just combined. Stir in mandarins.
4. Divide mixture into muffin tin and bake for 15 minutes or until baked through and golden.
5. Cool in tray for five minutes before removing.

The finished product