There is a good amount of prep involved in these muffins but it is so worth it! The extra steps are easy - making a candied citrus rind and citrus extract - they just take some time to "cure." But once these are are done, the muffins themselves are so easy and delicious! Plus, you can use the left over citrus rind and extract for other desserts and even cocktails or mocktails!
Wash the tangerines or oranges (do not use hand or dish soap) and peel off all of the zest using a vegetable peeler, making sure not to get the white pith. Mix the rind and sugar in a small/medium glass or ceramic bowl with a lid. Cover and let sit at room temperature at least overnight, or up to 24 hours. Set aside.
There will be more sugar than you need for this recipe but this mixture will last quite awhile on the counter as long as you keep it covered. Both the sugar and the rinds would work wonderfully as garnishes for other recipes such as spiced muffins, sweet breads, and cocktail sugar rims.
For the citrus extract, wash the tangerines or oranges (do not use hand or dish soap) and peel off all of the zest using a vegetable peeler. Add the zest to a bowl and cover with sugar. Toss to combine. Cover and let sit overnight, or up to 24 hours.
Add the water to a small/medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn off the heat and pour the tangerine/sugar mixture into the hot water. Stir and let sit until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 5 minutes.
Pour through a fine mesh strainer, or a few layers of cheesecloth, back into the original bowl. Discard the zest. Let the extract cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. There will be more extract than you need for this recipe but this mixture will last quite awhile stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The leftover extract would work great for cocktails and future desserts!
Now that you have the sugar topping and extract ready to go, it’s time to make the muffins! Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a muffin pan with very lightly greased or non-stick muffin cups.
In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and citrus zest. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs until well combined. While whisking constantly, slowly pour in the melted coconut oil or butter – Constantly whisking while slowly pouring in the warm oil or butter will prevent the eggs from starting to scramble. Next, whisk in the yoghurt, juice, and vanilla until well combined. Add in the flour mixture and gently fold in until well combined – Gently folding the flour mixture in helps the muffins from becoming tough.
Fill baking cups ¾ of the way full (about 2 heaping tablespoons batter for a standard muffin pan). Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Once the muffins are cool enough to handle, transfer to a baking rack to let cool completely.
When the muffins are cooled, brush the top of each muffin with some of the citrus extract. Let sit for 10 minutes so that the extract can soak into the muffin.
Meanwhile, melt the 3 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Transfer to a heatproof bowl. Set up a “dipping station” with the bowl of melted butter and a shallow bowl filled with the citrus sugar (rind removed and set aside). After the muffins have set for 10 minutes, dip each muffin into the melted butter and then into the citrus sugar, making sure to coat the top of the muffin well. After all muffins have been dipped, sprinkle each with a few flakes of sea salt and serve!
