Mini-Orange Crumble Top Muffins with Orange Butter

I got this recipe off the food network and tweaked it a bit. I made these delightful little muffins for my friend Cat's wedding shower. They turned out marvelously. Don't skimp on the orange butter. It's totally worth it.

Muffins


1 1/2 cups plus 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 stick plus 2 tablespoons (9 tablespoons) melted unsalted butter

1 cup milk

3 tablespoons orange juice concentrate, thawed

3 teaspoons finely grated orange zest

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar



Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease 2 small muffins tins (with 24 (1 3/4-inch) wells), and set aside. In a large bowl, sift together 1 1/2 cups of flour, the sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a bowl, beat together the egg, 8 tablespoons of the butter, the milk, orange juice concentrate, and 2 teaspoons of the zest. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, combining just until moistened and being careful not to overmix. Divide the batter among the prepared muffin tins, filling each halfway.

To make the crumble topping, in a small bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour, the chopped pecans, the brown sugar, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter and 1 teaspoon of grated zest. Mix to combine and sprinkle 1 teaspoon on top of the batter for each muffin. Bake until the muffins are set and golden brown and a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, 14 to 16 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes in the tins, then cool on wire racks. Serve with orange-butter on the side.


Orange-Butter:

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup sweet orange marmalade

1 teaspoon honey

In a bowl, cream together the ingredients. Transfer to a decorative crock or small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until slightly firm. Serve with the muffins or spread on toast. Yield: about 3/4 cup

*Nikki I took these pictures for you, so you can make them.