Mandarin Orange Muffins

If you asked my son Andrew what his very favorite food in the world is, I know exactly what he'd tell you: mandarin oranges. Well, okay, he'd probably say "na nas" because that's what he calls them, but you know what I mean. He loves mandarin oranges, which really comes as no surprise to me since I loved them as a kid too. I remember being a little girl, sitting at the kitchen table and eating them with my fingers right out of the can. And then slurping all of the delicious syrup off of my fingers. It's so fun to watch my little boy do exactly the same thing (except we are more civilized than my parents were, apparently, and put his oranges in a bowl first).

When I happened across this recipe, I knew I had to make these for Andrew. Unsurprisingly, these muffins were a huge hit with him. I really liked them, too, especially the combination of cinnamon and citrus. When I make these again (and oh, I will; Andrew insists) I'll use less almond extract, because I thought the almond was just a little bit too overpowering. These muffins were incredibly moist and not too sweet, and they were absolutely delicious with a bit of butter spread across the top. Definitely Andrew -- and Mama! -- approved.

Mandarin Orange Muffins
source: slightly adapted from Allrecipes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch ground nutmeg
1/2 cup cold butter or margarine
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 11-ounce can mandarin oranges, drained and diced

1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In another bowl, whisk the egg, milk and extract. Stir into crumb mixture just until moistened. Fold in oranges.

2. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees 15 to 20 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

3. Combine 1/3 cup sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over muffins.