Cranberry-Orange Muffins
When you grow up in the cereal capital of the world, breakfasts are maybe more duty than anything — not to mention that the convenience of pour-and-serve was a lifesaver for my mom, who might never have gotten all three kids out the door on time every morning otherwise. But it was a little dull, despite the rotation of boxes atop the table.
Bright packaging, clever names and all those cartoon mascots just didn’t compete with my weekend hopes for a plate of eggs or French toast or — oh please, oh please, oh please — pancakes (even if they were made from a mix). There’s a very good chance that the love I have developed for great breakfast food (or better yet, a nice brunch!) is my inner rebel still fighting against years of boredom. I’ve all but given up trying to make a sunny-side-up egg as well or as effortlessly as my mother did, but I never tire of time and time again proving — if only to myself — just how easy it is to whip up a delicious frittata.
There’s also something I love about how inherently comforting and decadent a generous slab of quick bread or a nice big muffin can feel. (Which makes me wonder why I don’t own a jumbo muffin pan — and whether I could remedy that without my husband losing his mind that I brought yet another piece of bakeware into this house?)
Alas, I think these muffins are perfectly satisfying — fluffy, moist and loaded with berries. And if I’m wrong, just have two.
Enjoy!
SOME NOTES ABOUT THIS RECIPE…
If you’d rather forego the brandy, a teaspoon of good vanilla extract and a bit more almond is equally delicious.
And if you or others in your home are opposed to nuts, the streusel works perfectly well without them. And if you want to skip the streusel altogether, I love a muffin with a sugary top and would recommend a generous sprinkle of turbinado or even good ol’ granulated sugar.
If you’re using frozen cranberries, chopping and tossing them in frozen rather than thawing first will give you prettier muffins.
Lastly, if you have a preference for quick bread slices, this recipe works as-is in a loaf pan — but you’ll need roughly double the bake time (watch carefully so as not to overbake).
These are some of the items I find especially helpful for this bake. (These are affiliate links.)
USA Muffin Pan
King Arthur All-Purpose Flour
Nielsen-Massey Pure Almond Extract
OXO Good Grips Silicone Balloon Whisk
Cranberry-Orange Muffins
makes 12 muffins
INGREDIENTS
1 + 3/4 cups good all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 + 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons brandy or cognac
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Grated zest from 2 oranges
6 tablespoons orange juice
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, roughly chop three-quarters
NUTTY STREUSEL INGREDIENTS (optional)
2/3 cup good quality flour
1/4 cup light brown sugar
Pinch of salt
Generous pinch of nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or sliced almonds
1/4 butter, melted
1 tablespoon granulated sugar, optional
INSTRUCTIONS
With the rack in the center of the oven, preheat to 425°. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick spray or line with cupcake liners.
MAKE THE STREUSEL. In a small bowl, whisk together the dry streusel topping ingredients, add the nuts and drizzle in the melted butter. Toss the mixture gently with a fork to moisten and create clumps — don’t overmix. Set aside.
MAKE THE MUFFINS. Whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside.
In a standing mixer, cream the butter on high speed, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat until smooth and very fluffy, about another 2 minutes.
Add the eggs, sour cream, almond extract and brandy, beating on low for a minute before increasing the speed to medium-high to thoroughly incorporate all ingredients into a uniform mixture. (It may look slightly curdled at this point — don’t worry.) Add the orange peel and mix just until distributed.
Remove the bowl from the mixer, add the flour mixture and gently stir until evenly moistened. Add the orange juice and whisk until smooth. The batter will be quite thick. Fold in the cranberries until well distributed.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, filling cups almost to the top. If using, spoon the streusel over the tops and sprinkle with additional sugar, if desired.
Bake for 5 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 and bake for an additional 15-17 minutes (a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean).
Allow the muffins to cool for at least 5 minutes before removing from the pan — and at least 15 minutes before eating.
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