Glazed Orange Muffins

Vegetable Cooking Spray 2 c Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

3/4 c Sugar

2 1/2 ts Baking Powder

1/4 ts Salt

1 lg Orange

1/4 c Milk; or more as needed

1/3 c Butter; melted and cooled

1 lg Egg; lightly beaten

1 ts Vanilla Extract

1/4 ts Baking Soda

1/2 c Pecans; coarsely chopped and

-toasted --------------------------------ORANGE GLAZE-------------------------------- 1 Orange; finely grated zest

-of 1/3 c Fresh Orange Juice

1/3 c Sugar

Preheat the oven to 400?F. Spray 12 muffin cups with vegetable cooking spray or line with paper liners. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Grate the zest of the orange and juice it. Add enough milk to the orange juice to measure 1 cup plus 2 tb and pour it into a second bowl. Add the butter, egg, vanilla, and baking soda and whisk until blended. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and combine with as few strokes as possible. Fold in the orange zest and pecans. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each one 1/2 to 2/3 full. Bake until golden and fragrant, 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the orange glaze: In a small pan, bring the orange zest and juice and sugar to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Turn down the heat and let simmer until thickened, 4-5 minutes. Let cool slightly. The glaze should be liquidy so that it soaks into the muffins. Let muffins cool 2-3 minutes, then brush the tops with the warm glaze, or drip it over them with a spoon. Serve warm. Sticky and good -- real good! Source: "Dairy Hollow House: Soup & Bread," by Crescent Dragonwagon Typed by Katherine Smith Kook-Net: The Shadow Zone IV - Stinson Beach, CA