Courgette, orange and hazelnut muffins
Makes: 12
Total time: 
Recipe by Thane PrinceRecipe photograph by Toby Scott
Courgette, orange and hazelnut muffins
Makes: 12
Total time: 
See more recipes
Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
424Kcal
Fat
20gr
Saturates
6gr
Carbs
53gr
Sugars
35gr
Fibre
3gr
Protein
7gr
Salt
0.4gr
Thane Prince
Cook and food writer Thane Prince has most recently been seen as a judge on BBC2's The Big Allotment Challenge, and she is the author of a number of cookbooks, the newest being Ham, Pickles And Jam (Pavilion, £25).
See more of Thane Prince’s recipes
Thane Prince
Cook and food writer Thane Prince has most recently been seen as a judge on BBC2's The Big Allotment Challenge, and she is the author of a number of cookbooks, the newest being Ham, Pickles And Jam (Pavilion, £25).
See more of Thane Prince’s recipes
Ingredients
- 100g blanched hazelnuts
- 350g firm courgettes, trimmed
- 275g plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 125g caster sugar
- 75g dried apricots, coarsely chopped
- 2 large eggs
- 110ml sunflower oil
- zest and juice of 1 large orange
- 50ml milk
For the icing
- 60g soft butter
- 125g full-fat cream cheese
- 250g icing sugar, sifted
Step by step
Get ahead
The iced muffins will keep for 2 days in an airtight container, or can be frozen for up to 2 weeks.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6. Spread the nuts out on a small baking tray and toast in the oven for 5 minutes. Cool slightly then chop coarsely. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.
- Meanwhile, grate the courgettes and squeeze out the excess moisture. Set aside.
- Sift the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt into a bowl and stir in the sugar, apricots and three-quarters of the hazelnuts (reserve the remainder for the topping). Beat the eggs, oil, orange juice and milk together in a separate bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, stirring in the courgettes and most of the orange zest, reserving 1 teaspoon for the topping. Mix until everything is combined then spoon into the muffin cases.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the muffin comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes then remove to a rack.
- Meanwhile, make the frosting by beating the butter and cream cheese together with the reserved orange zest until smooth. Gradually mix in the icing sugar, beating only until the mixture is well combined. Don't overmix or the frosting will become runny. Chill for at least 30 minutes or until needed. Spoon or pipe the frosting onto the cooled muffins and scatter with the reserved nuts. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Chef quote
Frosted with cream cheese icing, these muffins are an indulgent treat, but they are also lovely for breakfast, uniced and served warm
