orange olive oil muffins
Dates are an interesting ingredient that I’ve only come to appreciate later in life. I used to think that they were too sweet, but they taste wonderful when understood and used properly in a recipe.
The first thing I learned was that the varieties can be used interchangeably, with the two most common being Medjool and Deglet Noor. I had purchased Medjool in the past, but opted to try Deglet Noor as there are subtle differences between them. The Deglet Noor seemed lighter tasting with a honey quality, and less densely sweet, so I enjoyed the flavor. Another difference was their stickiness, so I made sure to blend them thoroughly before adding to a batter to avoid clumping.
An interesting thing I also discovered was that they weigh quite a bit less when they are older and drier. I would see in a recipe that one should soak dates if they are drier, so I measured out the weight of the dates and put them to soak in water. Surprisingly, they weighed about 10% more once fully soaked. So if you need to soak your dates for this recipe, then you should weigh them after and remove any if needed. And, feel free to use your favorite variety.
Until next time, happy baking!
Orange Olive Oil Muffins
Equipment
- 2 12-cup muffin tins
Ingredients
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons soymilk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups + 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 ¼ cups 200 grams pitted dates (soaked in water if too dry, then drained)
- ½ cup olive oil
- ⅔ cup maple syrup
- ⅔ cup dairy-free yogurt
- 2 tablespoons date-soaking water or extra soymilk
- 2 teaspoons grated orange zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F with a rack set in the middle of the oven. Use paper liners to line 18 cups of two 12-cup muffin pans.
- Put the 1 cup + 2 tablespoons soymilk in a glass measuring cup and add the vinegar. Whisk to combine, then set aside at room temperature for at least 5 minutes to curdle.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl.
- In a high-speed blender, add the drained dates, oil, maple syrup, yogurt, soaking water, and curdled milk. Blend until the dates are pulverized. (This will take several minutes). Add the orange zest and blend for 5 seconds to mix it in. Pour the liquid into a large bowl.
- Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring with a spatula until just combined. Add the remainder of the dry ingredients and stir again. Distribute the batter evenly among the lined muffin cups, filling the cups two-thirds full.
- Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, rotating the muffin tins halfway through baking. (You may need to do this one muffin tin at a time for even baking.) The muffins are ready when a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Set the tins on wire racks for 5 minutes to allow the muffins to cool, then remove the muffins and place them on wire racks to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container on the counter for up to a week.
