Margarita Muffins

Do you get as annoyed as I do with those "It's National _______ Day!!!" things that seem to pop up all over the internet?

I'm all about a celebration, really. But National Kumquat Day? National Sesame Seed Day? National Sriracha Day?

C'mon.

I mean... who comes up with these things anyway? And who gave them the authority to tell us what we are celebrating on which day? When do we draw the line, people? When does it end?? WHEN?!?!

Ok, I'm done now. And I'm totally joking. If you want to party over Pork Rinds, then more power to you.

Today is actually National Margarita Day, so I thought I'd get on board -- not because I'm doing what the National Fill-in-the-Blank Creator wants me to do {take that!}, but because I happen to be quite fond of good margaritas.

I don't want to get all Ina Garten on you {"GOOD vanilla. GOOD olive oil. Blah, blah blah."}, but I really, truly am picky about my margaritas and they must be good in order for me to give them my seal of approval. {And not want to spit it back into my glass a la Sheldon from Big Bang Theory... do yourself a favor and watch this clip.}

I blame it on my 3 year stint of living in Texas. Texans know good margaritas, y'all. They can also make more things with a can of crescent dough than I ever knew was humanly possible... but that's another story for another day.

Good margaritas must:

1. Have FRESH, HOMEMADE sour mix. {None of that fluorescent green stuff in a bottle that looks and tastes like anti-freeze. Do not try to pass it off to me as fresh... I will know.}

2. Be served on the rocks. If I want a slushy, I will go to 7 Eleven, thank you very much.

3. Have decent tequila. I'll let you decide what qualifies this statement, but I would rather not drink the same kind that college kids are licking out of each other's belly buttons in Cancun during Spring Break.

It's really that simple. I actually prefer my margaritas without a salted rim, but I can appreciate the salty/sweet/tart thing that salt-lickers must enjoy.

With all this margarita talk, you'd think I was going to give you a recipe for one or something. But, no. That would be too logical.

I made Margarita Muffins. Because you can eat a Margarita Muffin for breakfast, but you can't sip on one with your eggs and bacon without being questioned on suspect behavior. {Unless, again, you're in Cancun on Spring Break.}

These are fun, fresh, and topped with pretty candied limes and a Tequila-Lime Glaze. {Though you can certainly leave out the tequila if you'd rather not start your day with booze. Party pooper.} They would make a festive addition to a themed brunch or be a good multi-tasker for National Lime Day, too. 😉

Bottoms up!

Margarita Muffins (Adapted from the 1 Mix, 100 Muffins Basic Muffin Recipe)

The Kitchen Prep

These sweet-and-sour margarita muffins are just the right touch of tropical for breakfast. Zesty lime muffins topped with a tequila lime glaze and a candied lime slice.

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Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 1 hr 35 mins

Total Time 1 hr 55 mins

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 12 muffins

Ingredients

  

Muffin Batter:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• ½ cup {heaping} sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• A pinch of salt
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 6 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• A drop of orange extract {optional}
• Zest of one lime*

Tequila-Lime Glaze:

• ½ cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon tequila or lime juice if you prefer
• ¼ teaspoon lime zest
• A drop of orange extract {optional}
• 1-2 tablespoons milk or water

Candied Limes

• ¼ cup water
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1-2 limes sliced into thin rounds
• {Optional} Approximately ¼ cup granulated sugar

Instructions

 

Make the Muffins:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place liners in a 12 cup muffin tin, and set aside.
• Whisk all of the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.
• Whisk all of the wet ingredients and lime zest in another bowl.
• Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and slowly pour in the wet ingredients, stirring gently. Mix it until it's just combined so you don't get dense muffins. {Nobody likes a dense muffin.}
• Using an ice cream scoop {or not, I just like to be fair and make sure every liner gets the same amount}, scoop batter into liners.
• Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick poked into the middle of the muffin comes out clean.
• *You can add extra zest if you want them a little zestier. Using one lime gave them a slight lime flavor, but nothing overpowering. It's up to your tastebuds how you want to do it!

Make the Tequila Lime Glaze:

• In a small bowl, whisk confectioners' sugar, tequila, lime zest and orange extract together. Add milk or water a little bit at a time until you get the consistency you're looking for. If you add too much liquid, don't worry, just add a little more confectioners' sugar to thicken it up!
• Drizzle over muffins or dip the muffins in the glaze and give them a shake before flipping them back over to get rid of the excess. Top with a candied lime if you'd like!

Make the Candied Limes:

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
• Stir water and granulated sugar together in a pan over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Bring the sugar water to a gentle boil.
• Drop in lime slices and let them bubble away for about 10-12 minutes, swishing them around every so often and coating them in syrup. Cook until the pith {white part} starts to become sort of translucent.
• Carefully remove them from the syrup*, letting the excess liquid drip off, and place them on the lined pan. Bake them for 1 hour.
• Remove them from the oven and, while they're still warm, sprinkle them with granulated sugar {or press them gently into a bowl of sugar} to give them a sparkly appearance.
• *You can save this syrup {which is now lime flavored} to add to iced tea, cocktails, or other treats!

Notes

Adapted from the 1 Mix, 100 Muffins Basic Muffin Recipe