Mini Orange And Poppy Seed Cakes - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/3 cup poppy seeds
1/4 cup milk
12 tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 None eggs
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour, sifted
1/2 cup flour, sifted
1/2 cup ground hazelnuts
1 tbsp grated orange peel
1/2 cup orange juice
None None FOR THE SYRUP
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp grated orange peel
2/3 cup orange juice

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350\u00b0F. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin pan.
Combine poppy seeds and milk in a small bowl. Let stand 20 mins.
Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until pale and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Lightly fold in flours, ground hazelnuts, orange peel and juice, and poppy seed mixture until well combined. Spoon into muffin cups.
Bake 20-25 mins, until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 mins. Remove from pan; place on wire rack.
Meanwhile, for the syrup, place sugar, 1/3 cup water, and orange peel and juice in a small saucepan on low heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium and simmer, 10 mins, without stirring, until syrupy. Drizzle hot syrup over warm cakes until all syrup has been absorbed. Garnish with orange peel from syrup, if desired.