Tangerine Mocha Muffins
Preheat the oven to 200 °C/400 °F (convection oven 180 °C). Carefully grease the cups of the muffin pan or line with paper cups.
Drain the tangerines well in a sieve. Set aside 12 nice mandarin orange pieces for the decoration. For the filling and garnish, in a small bowl, beat the cream cheese with the powdered sugar and liqueur or orange juice and orange zest until smooth.
In a medium bowl, thoroughly mix the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, orange zest and cocoa powder.
In another large bowl, whisk egg lightly. Then add the sugar, oil or butter, sour cream and mocha and blend well. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened.
Using an ice cream scoop, fill the batter into the cups of the muffin baking pan. Bake in hot oven at 180 °C/350 °F (convection oven 160 °C) on the middle rack for 20-25 minutes. Let the muffins rest in the baking pan for 5-10 minutes, then remove and cool well on a cooling rack.
Using a sharp knife, cut the muffins crosswise. Spread the remaining mandarins on the bottom of the Muffins. Place the cream cheese cream in a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle and pipe onto the bottom half of the muffins. Place the top halves on top. Pipe the remaining cream on top of the muffins and decorate each with a piece of tangerine.
Recommended ingredients:
For the batter
2 cups (280 g) flour
2½ tsps. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
grated zest of ½ orange
2 TBS. cocoa powder
1 egg – ¾ cup (150 g) sugar
⅓ cup (80 ml) vegetable oil
or ½ cup (125 g) soft butter
½-¾ cup (150 g) sour cream
or mascarpone (Italian cream cheese)
½-¾ cup (150 ml) mocha or espresso
For the dough and the decoration
1½ cups (350 g) tangerines
3 cups (900 g) cream cheese
9 TBS. powdered sugar
2 TBS. Cointreau (orange liqueur)
or orange juice
grated peel of ½ orange