Cranberry Orange Muffins

I have a funny story about these muffins. In my daughter’s third grade class, the kids are only allowed to bring healthy foods for their school snacks. In other words, no cookies or candy, no chips and no cola, etc. However, it’s ok to bring homemade sweets once in a while. I packed a Cranberry Orange Muffin in her snack one day.

At snack time, one of the girls asked my daughter (picture in your mind a sing song 9-year-old girl’s voice), “Did your mom make that muffin?”

“Yes,” replied my daughter.

“No, she didn’t!” the girl exclaimed, “That looks too perfect to be homemade!”

Yes, I did!! (Sorry, did that sound snotty?)

Actually, these homemade Cranberry Orange Muffins really do look and taste fantastic! The tart cranberry flavor and the sweet orange flavor both really shine in these muffins.

I love that you can get plenty of fresh cranberries here in Austria now and I have made these muffins several times already this fall.

When I made these muffins for the third time within a couple of days and was shooting pictures, my kids were circling the kitchen like sharks, waiting to pounce on the muffins. That’s how good they are!

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Cranberry Orange Muffins

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 12 muffins

Ingredients

Muffins

• ½ cup (112 g) butter room temperature
• ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• ¼ cup (52 g) brown sugar
• 2 eggs room temperature
• Zest of 2 organic oranges reserving ½ teaspoon for the glaze
• 1 ¾ cup (245 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup (120 g) plain yogurt room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2 tablespoons buttermilk or milk
• 1 ½ cups (150 g) fresh cranberries

Orange Glaze

• 1 cup (110 g) powdered sugar
• 2-3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
• ½ teaspoon orange zest reserved from above

Instructions

1. Butter muffin tins or line with cupcake liners. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Using a stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar on high speed until light and fluffy. Scrape bowl and add eggs, one at a time, beating on medium speed until combined. Beat in orange zest until combined.
3. In a medium-sized bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In another medium-sized bowl, whisk together yogurt, vanilla extract, orange juice and buttermilk.
4. Add about half of the flour mixture to the butter-egg mixture and mix on low speed just until combined. Scrape bowl. Then add about half of the yogurt mixture and mix on low speed until combined. Repeat with the rest of the flour mixture and then rest of the yogurt mixture, mixing just until combined. Fold in most of the cranberries, reserving some for the tops of the muffins, if desired.
5. Scoop the dough into the prepared muffin pan. Push remaining cranberries into the tops slightly.
6. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 5 minutes, then reduce heat without opening the oven to 350°F (165°C) and bake for another 10-12 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes, remove muffins from pan and cool completely.
7. To make the glaze, whisk all the ingredients together, starting with 2 tablespoons of orange juice and adding a bit more if the glaze to too thick to drizzle. Drizzle glaze over cooled muffins.
8. Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to two months.

Recipe Notes

Dried cranberries may be substituted for fresh cranberries.
Recipe adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction.

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