The muffins are super quick to make - as muffins tend to be. But what's special about them is their lovely orange colour and the fantastic smell while they’re baking – warm orange-and-spice, Christmas-just-around-the-corner aroma.
There's completely no reason why you wouldn't want to bake them in the middle of the summer but I do like the thick, comforting fragrance of the spices and orange zest when it's cold and dark outside.
Don’t expect them to rise as much as muffins normally would; that's probably due to the acidity of the orange, but their texture is nice and airy. Recipe adopted from Nigella's Christmas muffins.