Fresh Fig and Mandarinquat Muffins

With summer nearly over, I’m busy baking and cooking with all the fruits and veggies I know I’ll be missing desperately in a matter of weeks. Figs and mandarinquats are on that list. I fell in love with figs about three years ago when I finally tasted one whole, instead of processed and pumped with sugar as the filling of a Fig Newton. I had always disliked those “cookies.” Oh, but a fresh, whole fig, perfectly ripe and pink on the inside. Yum! My eyes were opened. As for the mandarinquat, I discovered this little fruit a couple of years ago at one of our local farmers markets. It’s larger than the better known kumquat but has the same idea… the rind is the sweet part, the fruit the tangier, more sour part.

These gorgeous little mandarinquats are about the same size as key limes

I thought some sweet mandarinquat peel would marry quite nicely with fresh fig in the form of my favorite baked good… muffins!

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • 2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
  • 1.5 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 cup rice milk
  • 1/3 cup canola oil
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 6 large figs, cleaned and sliced
  • the rind of 2 mandarinquats, very thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 375 and lightly grease a muffin tin. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the sugar, rice milk, oil, and apple cider vinegar. Pour the wet mixture into the dry and blend until just combined. Gently fold in the figs and mandarinquat peel. Fill the muffin tins about 2/3 full and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Happy eating!

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