Recipe: Orange Honey Muffins  Date: WW II Source: Economy Bulletin#7

After the success of the date bread I decided to try another sugar-saving recipe from the “Lakeside Home Services Bureau” victory  economy bulletins. 

I was excited about this one because I love muffins, I love muffins more that are sweetened with honey, and orange muffins sounded delicious.  Do not doubt my muffin love.  It is often the thought of the delicious muffins waiting for me on the counter that pull me out of my warm bed at 6:00 in the morning in a way that my beeping alarm clock can never quite accomplish on its own. 

To make these muffins I first combined 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour, 3 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp. salt and the grated rind of two oranges into a large bowl.

I did actually stir the zest in but I couldn’t resist taking this picture with all that beautiful and fragrant orange peel on top.   In another bowl I combined all of the wet ingredients, substituting melted butter for the shortening.

I then poured the wet into the dry and combined them until just mixed.  I spooned the batter into a greased twelve-cup muffin tin and baked the muffins at 375 for 15 minutes, then I realized they were cooking too quickly and turned the oven down to 350 for the remaining 15. 

They smelled amazing and I couldn’t resist eating one hot from the pan!

Unfortunately, this is one of those things that does not taste as good as it smells.  Despite the honey and egg and juice and milk and butter I found these muffins really dry.  They have good orangey flavour, but that’s about all they have going for them.  They are definitely not the kind of muffin that pulls you out of bed in the morning.   I admittedly have enjoyed eating them for breakfast, sliced in half and topped with peanut butter, but despite that I probably would not make them again. 

I think this is the first of my Nana’s recipes that I have tried that won’t make it into my recipe book! 

And I am sure it won’t be the last….