Name: 6-step Orange Poppyseed Muffins with a game-changing baking paper hack
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: ¾ cup milk; 1 tbsp poppy seeds; 2 cups self-raising flour; ¾ cup caster sugar; 125g butter, melted, cooled; 2 eggs, lightly beaten; 2 tsp finely grated orange rind; ¼ cup orange juice; Thinly shredded orange rind, to decorate; FROSTING; 100g cream cheese, chopped; ½ cup icing sugar mixture

If you’ve ever been partway through baking only to realise you’ve run out of muffin wraps, don’t fret.

It’s bound to happen, even to an experienced Food Editor like myself. The other day I was all set to make a batch of our Orange Poppyseed Muffins. I had everything ready to go… except for the muffin wraps…

There was no time to dash to the shops, so I needed a quick fix.

That’s when I remembered New Idea Food’s trusty collection of kitchen hacks.

Specifically, a clever DIY trick for café-style paper muffin wraps.

All you have to do is, simply cut 15cm squares of baking paper, then snip a 5cm cut on each side, as shown in the image below. Press each square into greased muffin pan holes, then spoon in your batter and bake as directed by your recipe.

DIY muffin wrappers — Make sure you save this muffin wrap tip for later! *(Credit: New Idea)*

It’s the perfect pantry back-up when you’ve run out of muffin wraps, even cupcake cases. And it’s a great way to save a few dollars by making your own.

Our Orange Poppyseed Muffins are beautifully tender, lightly speckled with poppy seeds, accompanied by a fresh citrus flavour. You can bake these up to three days ahead and are best stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

Ingredients

¾ cup milk

1 tbsp poppy seeds

2 cups self-raising flour

¾ cup caster sugar

125g butter, melted, cooled

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tsp finely grated orange rind

¼ cup orange juice

Thinly shredded orange rind, to decorate

FROSTING

100g cream cheese, chopped

½ cup icing sugar mixture

Method

Step 1

Line a 12-hole muffin pan (¹⁄³-cup capacity) with muffin wraps.

Step 2

Combine milk and poppy seeds in a jug. Stand for 10 mins.

Step 3

Combine flour and sugar in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre. Add butter, eggs, rind, juice and milk mixture. Stir until combined. Divide mixture evenly among prepared pan holes, about ¹⁄³ cup in each.

Step 4

Cook in a 180°C preheated oven for about 25 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of muffins comes out clean. Stand in pan for 10 mins. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Step 5

FROSTING: Beat cream cheese and icing sugar in small bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

Step 6

Dollop frosting on top of muffins. Decorate with shredded rind.

Karen Buckley Managing Food Editor

Growing up, Karen’s formative years were defined by cooking and baking alongside her loved ones. Since then, she’s turned this lifelong passion into a career, with an acquired 30 years of experience in leading test kitchens, developing the recipes you know and love. Across the New Idea, New Idea Food, Woman’s Day, Take 5, and That’s Life digital and print brands, she develops enough recipes in a year to last you 365 days (not that we’re counting). And with a TAFE Home Economics Certification under her belt, her dedication to creating healthy, affordable and delicious food has always been at the centre of the recipes she creates. And for Karen, this also applies to her own meal-planning repertoire at home: she’ll avoid buying processed products, instead incorporating fresh wholefoods where she can.

Lara Carlucci Editorial Assistant

Lara is an Editorial Assistant to Managing Food Editor Karen Buckley for New Idea, New Idea Food, Woman’s Day, Take 5, and That’s Life, and an Assistant and Writer for Diabetic Living. With a Bachelor of Media (Communications & Journalism), a Bachelor of Arts, and a Bachelor of Arts and Social Sciences (Honours), she’s always nurtured a passion and love for writing in whatever form it takes, wanting to share stories that matter. Food is her second love: shaped by her Italian heritage, and the countless large family gatherings that are always comprised of wholesome, generous meals prepared by loved ones. If not around the banquet table, she’ll take every opportunity to sample Sydney’s endless supply of cuisines – having visited over 70 food joints in the last year alone!