I found spring at Trader Joe’s for $1.49. Well, hello little daffodils. I also found that after reading 547 children’s books you start talking like one. There’s no such thing as an inanimate object anymore. So to that end I say, goodbye Winter.
There’s something about these Rosemary Orange Muffins that taste exactly like spring. It could be the earthiness of the rosemary. Or the zing of the orange. Maybe it’s the collision of sweet and savory. But it’s probably because they were served at my wedding shower six springs ago.
Our family friend, Cari, who threw the shower, is also an excellent cook. She sent me home with the recipe. I’ve made it here and there over the years, usually at the start of spring. It’s high time I share it with you.
It tastes like brunch. It’s neither extremely sweet nor savory, rather a perfect marriage of the two. The muffin itself has some weight. It’s not the light and airy type. Cari says in the notes you can even split it in half and serve with a little mustard and ham. Also perfect for Easter? Yes indeed.
I’ve subbed in yogurt for sour cream and wheat flour for white because that’s just how a roll. I’ve also made this recipe mixer-free. Operating machinery before coffee is always trouble. That and I always have a tendency to overmix muffins. When I melt the butter and stir by hand, in half the time, it’s a good morning.
As soon as the landlord puts the table and chairs back on the deck, I’ll be there for brunch. With these in hand. And probably a frittata and maybe a latte. But definitely with coffee. Hello Spring.
A collision of savory and sweet notes, these muffins are perfect for a spring brunch.
Ingredients
Scale
1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 c. white whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. flaky kosher salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 c. pure cane sugar
1 c. plain whole milk yogurt
2 large eggs
zest of one orange
1/2 c. orange juice, fresh
1 tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
turbinado (optional)
Instructions
In a large bowl, melt butter. Set aside to cool. (To cool butter to room temperature more quickly, reserve about 1/2 tablespoon. Once butter has melted, stir in chilled tablespoon until melted.)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin tin. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
Into the cooled butter, whisk in sugar, yogurt, eggs, zest, orange juice, and rosemary until well combined.
Add flour into butter mixture and stir until just combined.
Evenly distribute batter in muffin tins, filling about 2/3 full. Sprinkle with turbinado. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until just done in the center. Allow to cool for 3 minutes or so in the pan before removing and continuing to cool on a rack. Serve.
Notes
• If baking larger muffins, add 3-5 minutes to the bake time. If baking mini muffins, decrease by 3-5 minutes.
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What gorgeous muffins! I have a ton of rosemary leftover from Easter! I only used a tiny bit for lamb and am so excited to find sweeter rather than savory ways to use rosemary. 🙂
Hey M, love your recipes but these didn’t quite hit the mark for me I am afraid…! I halved it and got six standard. About 17 mins and they seemed to have risen and toothpick test ok. But. I think they needed a little more time to cook through. They were a bit too doughy for my taste. So, was it more time needed or the low leavening amounts, which I noticed and wondered about…Baking soda a bit low?
Thanks for the feedback! It looks like you may have baked a little larger muffins than I did. Another reader did the same and increased the baking time to 20 minutes. I tested different amount of baking soda. The more baking soda seemed to give it an off taste but no baking soda changed the texture too much. I’d love to hear more by what you mean about “doughy”. Was it just that they weren’t cooked through. Again, I appreciate the feedback!
Hey! Yeah maybe they needed another 2 minutes…the crumb was moister/softer than desired rather than tender/crumby and they were a little heavy when picked up. So I am guessing it was a density issue. Or perhaps 1 oz sour cream and 3 oz yogurt made it different but I didn’t think it’d be an issue. I weigh so maybe my flour cups are a bit lighter and used half white/half ww pastry. Oh well, adventures in baking 🙂 I do LOVE your toasted oatmeal rendition and have made it twice.
You are awesome! Thanks so so much for the feedback. Testing these again today because I can’t sleep at night if a recipe gives someone fits. I’ll report back with any changes.
Ok, just made them again. The bake time was definitely off. It took 16 minutes for the regular sized muffins, so I imagine it would take the larger size upwards of 20+ minutes. Thanks for calling this to my attention! I’ve updated bake times.
These sound so interesting!! I can imagine they’d be delicious though, and perfect as part of afternoon tea- when you need something to cut through all the real sweet stuff!
These are really nice – I just made them and ate two warm with (more) butter and cheddar cheese. Delicious. I squeezed the batter into 12 muffin cups and it worked fine, just took about 20 min to bake instead of 15. Also, I thought 1 cup of sugar really seemed like a lot for muffins, so I cut it down to about 2/3 cup, and I still find them sweet enough. The rosemary and orange are such lovely fragrant flavours and I think too much sweetness would hide their taste.
Good to know about the sugar! I tested a batch with 3/4 cup sugar and they were on the under sweetened side. I imagine 2/3 cup made for a nice balance. Thanks for the feedback!
Perfect for spring! Adding rosemary into sweets is one of my all-time favorite flavor tricks. There’s just something about the rosemary that make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Yum! I love rosemary in sweet things. It’s not an intuitive combination, but it gives baked goods such a unique flavor. Thanks for sharing this recipe — and of course, gorgeous pictures as usual.
What a gorgeous recipe. I can’t think of any better way to celebrate the arrival of spring than with baked goods. Especially ones that look this good 🙂 Have a lovely weekend, Melissa!
What gorgeous muffins! I have a ton of rosemary leftover from Easter! I only used a tiny bit for lamb and am so excited to find sweeter rather than savory ways to use rosemary. 🙂
i have a lot of boards to cut on, and somehow, this is one of them. i’m hoping to use it on some rosemary soon, because this muffin is on my mind… <3
Hey M, love your recipes but these didn’t quite hit the mark for me I am afraid…! I halved it and got six standard. About 17 mins and they seemed to have risen and toothpick test ok. But. I think they needed a little more time to cook through. They were a bit too doughy for my taste. So, was it more time needed or the low leavening amounts, which I noticed and wondered about…Baking soda a bit low?
Thanks for the feedback! It looks like you may have baked a little larger muffins than I did. Another reader did the same and increased the baking time to 20 minutes. I tested different amount of baking soda. The more baking soda seemed to give it an off taste but no baking soda changed the texture too much. I’d love to hear more by what you mean about “doughy”. Was it just that they weren’t cooked through. Again, I appreciate the feedback!
Hey! Yeah maybe they needed another 2 minutes…the crumb was moister/softer than desired rather than tender/crumby and they were a little heavy when picked up. So I am guessing it was a density issue. Or perhaps 1 oz sour cream and 3 oz yogurt made it different but I didn’t think it’d be an issue. I weigh so maybe my flour cups are a bit lighter and used half white/half ww pastry. Oh well, adventures in baking 🙂 I do LOVE your toasted oatmeal rendition and have made it twice.
You are awesome! Thanks so so much for the feedback. Testing these again today because I can’t sleep at night if a recipe gives someone fits. I’ll report back with any changes.
Ok, just made them again. The bake time was definitely off. It took 16 minutes for the regular sized muffins, so I imagine it would take the larger size upwards of 20+ minutes. Thanks for calling this to my attention! I’ve updated bake times.
I’ve never baked with rosemary but these look absolutely gorgeous – the perfect Spring brunch bake!
Those look so good! Can’t wait to try them.
I have a serious weakness for muffins. The idea of rosemary and orange sounds so enticing. And I love substituting sour cream for yogurt…less guilt!
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Happy start of spring to you Melissa. The daffodils and muffins are the perfect way to transition into the new season!
The muffins sound so unique but really delicious!
I love the sound of these muffins! So delicately flavoured and such a great combination of sweet and savoury. Beautiful!
Give me coffee, one of these muffins and the warm sun on my face – and I’d be pretty content.
These sound so interesting!! I can imagine they’d be delicious though, and perfect as part of afternoon tea- when you need something to cut through all the real sweet stuff!
Alice xx | The Cup and Saucer
These are really nice – I just made them and ate two warm with (more) butter and cheddar cheese. Delicious. I squeezed the batter into 12 muffin cups and it worked fine, just took about 20 min to bake instead of 15. Also, I thought 1 cup of sugar really seemed like a lot for muffins, so I cut it down to about 2/3 cup, and I still find them sweet enough. The rosemary and orange are such lovely fragrant flavours and I think too much sweetness would hide their taste.
Good to know about the sugar! I tested a batch with 3/4 cup sugar and they were on the under sweetened side. I imagine 2/3 cup made for a nice balance. Thanks for the feedback!
Love this post and (of course) love you! Keep up the great work!
Perfect for spring! Adding rosemary into sweets is one of my all-time favorite flavor tricks. There’s just something about the rosemary that make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Yeah for orange, rosemary, and brilliant daffodils!! Beautiful image!
Thank you for all that you do!
Pinned,
K-
These muffins sound so fresh and zingy! Definitely a perfect crossover from the end of winter citrus to the new spring herbs. 🙂
So simple and lovely. Definitely springy!
This is such a fresh flavor combination!
Mmm, these look and sound delicious! Definitely bookmarking these 🙂
I literally just ate a massive breakfast but am all of a sudden hungry again
Yum! I love rosemary in sweet things. It’s not an intuitive combination, but it gives baked goods such a unique flavor. Thanks for sharing this recipe — and of course, gorgeous pictures as usual.
What a gorgeous recipe. I can’t think of any better way to celebrate the arrival of spring than with baked goods. Especially ones that look this good 🙂
Have a lovely weekend, Melissa!