Pass the Sweet Tart Mandarin Orange Muffins PLEASE

Mandarin Oranges are in every grocery store around here. These oranges are awesome. They are sweet, easy to peel, a great to go snack, and good for you!! What more can you ask for? I will tell you!! For them to go away!! Bear with me on this. When you buy fresh Mandarin Oranges, they come in a big pack. It is like you are buying them in bulk. You bring them home. You peel and eat, and eat, and eat, and eat...... You can not eat them fast enough before they start to spoil, or you become sick of them. What is a foodie to do?

I peel a bunch of Mandarin Oranges and freeze them. They are great to add to smoothies. You can add them to salads for a different taste twist. Finally, you can bake with them. This brings me to the Sweet Tart Mandarin Orange Muffins.

Sweet Tart Mandarin Orange Muffins

3 eggs
2/3 c. orange juice
1/2 c. buttermilk
1/2 cup melted vanilla chips
1/2 c. butter, melted
3 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
10 peeled Mandarin Oranges
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons lemon extract
1/2 almond extract

(1) Gently mix all ingredients except Oranges. (2) Gently fold in Oranges. (3) Fill prepared muffin cups to the top. (4) Bake in a 350 degree oven for approximately 15 to 20 minutes.

If you like, you can add a crumb topping to your Mandarin Orange Muffins. It is simple and adds an additional sweetness to these delectable treats. Here is what I like the most about these muffins. They are not too sweet or not to tart. It is a perfect combination of flavors. These are great with morning coffee, or a big glass of cold milk. I carefully packed them and shipped a batch to my son who is in college. They arrived at his apartment and were all eaten the same day. You never have to worry about shipping food to college students and it spoiling!!

I would like to tell you that I bought my Mandarin Oranges at Jungle Jims. I wish I could blog about this place, but I could never make you understand what it is without pictures. No photography in Jungle Jims! I have put a call in to Jungle Jims asking if I could have permission to take some pictures? No word yet, but I am keeping my fingers crossed! Until then, go to their web site and see what I have in my back yard!!