Guest Post: Citrus Olive Oil Muffins by Christina of Desserts for Two

It's here!  Today we are jumping on a plane, with lots of luggage in hand, and moving to Florida!  The boxes are already on our way to our Condo and our car is waiting for us to arrive.  Now, we just need to get there!  That way we can start settling in as soon as possible :).  Because today is such a big day, I've gotten one of my very good blogging friends, Christina from Dessert for Two, to Guest Post for me!  I've loved Dessert for Two for quite some time, so when I finally got to meet her last year I was smitten.  She's kind and sweet, and I'm so happy to call her a friend.  Enjoy this wonderful treat that she prepared for you!

Well, hello there!  My name is Christina and I write the dessert blog Dessert For Two.  I’m so happy to be guest posting today for one of the sweetest bloggers I’ve ever met.  Krissy and I hit it off at the Foodbuzz festival last year, and in no time at all, the conversation turned to eating habits.  While Krissy and I bake plenty of sugary sweets, we both have a passion for vegetarian meals full of whole grains and healthy fats.  When she asked me to create a recipe for her, I instantly thought of heart-healthy olive oil cake.  I shrunk the cake down to make cupcakes, and I added plenty of citrus zest and crunchy toasted almonds.

The olive oil in these cupcakes gives the cakes the texture of rich pound cake.  I can’t quite decide if they are more suitable for breakfast or dessert, so try it both ways and let me know!

What I love about these cupcakes is that you can customize them to suit your tastes.  My current favorite flavor combination is 1/4 teaspoon grapefruit zest and 1/4 teaspoon of cara cara orange zest.  I use 1 tablespoon of each fruit’s juice.  If you have Meyer lemons on your tree right now, may I suggest an all Meyer lemon muffin?

She knows me so well :).  Thanks Christina for the wonderful Guest Post!  When I'm settled in my Florida kitchen, I'm baking up a batch of these lovely muffins. 

Citrus Olive Oil Muffins {From Christina at Dessert for Two} For Printable Recipe, Click here!  In case you haven’t figured out by the name of my blog, my recipes only serve two people.  This recipe makes 4 perfect little cupcakes.  

1/4 cup high-quality olive oil 1/2 teaspoon (heaping) citrus zest 1/3 cup sugar 3 drops almond extract 1 egg white 2 tablespoons milk 2 tablespoon citrus juice 1/3 + 1/4 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder pinch of salt 1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted powdered sugar for serving (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350˚ and place 4 cupcake liners in 4 cups in a muffin pan.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and citrus zests of your choice.  Add the sugar, almond extract, egg white, milk and citrus juice.  Whisk the liquid ingredients together very well.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and slivered almonds.  Combine the wet ingredients with the dry and stir until just combined.  Divide the batter between the 4 muffin cups and bake on the center rack in the oven for 16-18 minutes.  Test with a toothpick for doneness—cupcakes should be moist with some crumbs clinging to the toothpick.  Let cool, dust with powdered sugar and serve.