Cranberry Nut Muffins
Introduction
So, I'm in love with cranberries. Period. Because of my unwavering love of this tart little berry, I have stocked my freezer with many bags of them. The only thing that sucks for me (and my husband) is that they are only in season at the end of the year, starting around Thanksgiving. This leads to an interesting dilemma, how do I use ALL those cranberries that I bought? Here is my first creation.
Materials
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, room temperature
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup coarsely chopped frozen cranberries
3/4 cup chopped nuts (I use pecans, thanks to the two trees in my yard!)
Topping
2 tablespoons super
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 shakes ground cloves
Methods
1. Using a hand mixer, cream butter and brown sugar.
2. Add eggs, one at a time.
3. Add vanilla.
4. Mix in sour cream until well combined.
5. Sift together flour, baking powder, ground nutmeg, ground cloves and salt in a separate bowl.
6. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture by hand. Be sure not to over mix. Batter will be thick.
7. Gently fold in cranberries and nuts.
8. Divide batter among paper-lined muffin pans.
9. Sprinkle a generous amount of topping on each muffin. Try to use all of the topping.
10. Bake for 20 minutes. Check with a toothpick to ensure they are finished baking.
11. Enjoy!
Conclusion
This is a great recipe. A perfect way to highlight the tartness of the cranberry and the warmness of the muffin. Using fresh or fresh frozen cranberries is a must, they add a moistness to the finished muffin and the flavor is awesome, much better than the flavor of dried cranberries. I have also found it to much easier to chop and use the cranberries while frozen as opposed to letting them thaw.
Also, try very hard to use all of the topping. It adds such a delicious crunch and finish to the muffin. I just grabbed a bunch in my fingers and sprinkled all around the top of the batter.
As for the type of nuts you use, be creative. I have made them with walnuts (I had a bag and didn't feel like chopping pecans) and they are equally delicious. Just be sure to chop the nuts fairly small, you don't want them to overpower the star of the muffins.
I hope you enjoy!
References
This recipe was adapted from the following source:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/cranberry-pecan-muffins/
