Whether I’m hosting a brunch for the holiday season, making muffins to have on hand for quick weekday breakfasts, or baking a batch of goodies to give to friends and neighbors, these Orange Juice Muffins with Orange Pistachio Glaze are perfect.
I mean. Seriously.
Recently, I served them at our annual Home for the Holidays Open House Brunch, and they were a huge hit.
Each holiday season, we have friends and family that travel in from out of town. With hectic schedules and holiday plans, sometimes it can be hard to see everyone.
The solution?
A Home for the Holidays Open House Brunch!
We host it at our house, and it’s a special way to see all of our friends (and some family) before the hustle and bustle of holiday commitments begins.
So I’m teaming up with not-from-concentrate Florida’s Natural® Brand Orange Juice to share my favorite muffin recipe along with a few tips for hosting your own Home for the Holidays Brunch Open House.
Tips for Hosting a Home for the Holidays Brunch Open House
There are so many inspiring ideas on Pinterest on how to throw the perfect holiday everything that it can be downright overwhelming sometimes. My secret for holiday entertaining is to keep it as simple as possible!
LIMIT THE MENU
Are there a gazillion amazing recipes you could make for brunch? Of course there are!
But trust me, the point of your Home for the Holidays brunch is to spend some quality time with your friends and family before the craziness begins. Keep your menu simple.
This year, we served Orange Juice Muffins with Orange Pistachio Glaze (recipe below) along with plain yogurt, fruit and Florida’s Natural® Brand Orange Juice. Easy peasy, and I didn’t have to spend hours in the kitchen preparing.
YOUR DECOR IS YOUR DECOR
I think the best part of hosting for the holidays is that there is no special party decor needed. The house is already decorated for Christmas, so there’s no need to add anything else.
We had a very small crowd for our Home for the Holidays brunch this year as fewer people came into town. We were bummed to miss seeing some of our friends, but I was secretly excited that it gave me a chance to set the table.
I simply added a few ornaments and a faux tree as a table centerpiece, and the decorating was finished.
DON’T BE AFRAID TO USE PAPER PLATES
I love using fun paper plates for parties like this. They can add to your overall holiday decor, and they’re so simple to clean up afterwards.
I like to pair mine with large chargers (like these gold ones that I grabbed for $1 at the Dollar Store.)
STICK TO THE SAME TIME AND DATE EACH YEAR
Our friends have come to appreciate that we always have our brunch on the same day and time each year. As they’re making their travel plans, they can book flights and other commitments without having to wait for an official invite from us.
MAKE EXTRA MUFFINS
Trust me when I tell you that all of your guests are going to be begging for the recipe for these Orange Juice Muffins with Orange Pistachio Glaze. Go ahead and make extras, and then pass them out as your guests are leaving. (Click here to download these adorable gift tags.)
It will save them the hassle of trying to sneak muffins into their pockets, and it’s a great treat for them to save for later.
Okay, I’ve kept you waiting long enough. Here’s how to make these amazing muffins.
Orange Juice Muffins with Orange Pistachio Glaze Recipe
Feel like baking? These orange juice muffins are a delicious way to start your day. Made with orange juice, sour cream and pistachios, the citrus taste with the crunch and salt of the pistachios will have you making these muffins every day that you can. Includes instructions to easily modify them to be gluten free and vegan.
Mix all muffin ingredients together. I used my mixer, but you could easily mix these by hand.
Line muffin tins with cupcake wrappers or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
Fill muffin tins 3/4 of the way full. (Use an ice cream scoop for uniform-sized muffins.)
Bake the muffins at 400 degrees for 16 – 20 minutes.
Let cool and then drizzle the glaze on top.
MAKING THE GLAZE
Whisk all of the glaze ingredients together and drizzle it over your cooled muffins.
Enjoy!
Notes
I used white whole wheat flour which made the muffins a little denser (which is how I like them), but this also works well with regular all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour. Take your pick.
It’s also super easy to make them vegan by substituing dairy-free milk and sour cream and switching in an egg replacer for the egg.
I think you’ll quickly find that Florida’s Natural® Brand Orange Juice is the real champion of this recipe. It adds the perfect amount of citrus flavor to the batter (and glaze), without overpowering it.
Learn More About Not-from-Concentrate Florida’s Natural® Brand Orange Juice
Not-from-concentrate Florida’s Natural® Brand Orange Juice is made only from Florida-grown oranges, and it’s a must-have brunch companion (whether you’re baking with it, drinking it, or both)!
We started drinking it years ago, and it’s the only orange juice you’ll find in our fridge. It’s delicious, and I love that it only has one simple ingredient: orange juice.
[email protected] Hi, my name is Anna, and I'm here to share my stories, make you laugh and help you feel better about your crazy, messy, fabulous life. Learn more here.
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