Memories from England

So most of you know that in a few weeks Jen (my roommate) and I will be going on a trip to England, Ireland and Scotland. I am SO very excited! I can't wait to go back. Right after I graduated highschool I went to England for 3 months. It was one of the best things I've ever done. I fell in love with Britain! The family I stayed with were American and Sarah, the wife, loved cooking so we got along great. Sarah was a fan of Nigella Lawson a British chef. One of the recipes that Sarah and I tried was Orange Breakfast Muffins from her 'Nigella Bites' cookbook. I bought the cookbook after I got back to the states and it always brings back great memories when I cook from it.

Orange Breakfast Muffins

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 2/3 cups self-rising flour
2 tablespoons ground almonds
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
zest of 1 orange
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon whole milk
1 egg
12-cup muffin pan lined with 12 paper baking cups

Preheat the oven to 400F
Melt the butter and set aside. Combine the flour, ground almonds, baking soda, baking powder, sugar and orange zest in the large bowl. Measure the orange juice and milk into a pitcher and whisk in the egg and then the cooled, melted butter. Now pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing with a fork as you go. The batter will be lumpy that's as it should be: you want everything to be no more than barely combined. The whole point of muffin mixture is that it must never be overworked.
Spoon out the mixture equally into the muffin cups and cook for 20 minutes. Remove, in their paper baking cups, to a wire rack and let cool slightly before devouring.
Makes 12