Cranberries are mysterious fruits! These tart little guys are too often associated only with the gelatinous blob that graces the table come Thanksgiving. This is really a shame because they are a delicious addition to a variety of dishes, desserts, and baked goods.
This morning when I awoke, the bag of cranberries that I bought a few weeks ago (yes, they keep almost forever in the fridge) was calling my name. It was way too cold to go outside, so I had no choice but to make muffins. Really, no other choice. (Errand credit to Brian, who did brave the elements once I realized we were out of sugar).
Chopping cranberries can be a bit like herding cats – but it’s not hard to figure out a system of pushing them along the cutting board and under the knife. Please note, you should not use a nice cutting board for this task – cranberries stain pretty much everything they touch.
Cream the butter, sugar, and eggs together using a stand mixer, hand mixer, or flat wooden spoon. Be sure to allow the butter to soften first, and periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Sift your dry ingredients together with a whisk and then add them, a half cup at a time, to the wet ingredients.
Mix the vanilla into the milk and then add it to the batter. Continue to mix until fully integrated, but no longer than that. Fold in cranberries and divide evenly into muffin cups.
Check on the muffins about 20 minutes into baking – in my oven that was all it took, although the directions say 30 minutes.
Nothing like a good muffin on a cold weekend morning.
Fresh Cranberry Muffins
adapted from Martha Stewart Living
Makes 1 dozen
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped and mixed with a little sugar
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter a standard 12-cup muffin pan and dust with flour, tapping out excess; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Working over the bowl, toss blueberries in a fine sieve with about 1 1/2 teaspoons flour mixture to lightly coat; set aside the flour mixture and the chopped cranberries.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a handheld mixer, beat butter and 1 cup sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. Mix in vanilla.
- With the mixer on low speed, add reserved flour mixture, beating until just combined. Add milk, beating until just combined. Do not overmix. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the cranberries. Divide batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. If desired, in a small bowl, mix together remaining 1/4 cup sugar and nutmeg. Sprinkle sugar mixture on top of muffin batter.
- Bake, rotating pan halfway though, until muffins are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center of one muffin comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes. Turn muffins on their sides in their cups, and let cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.
11 Comments
Mmmm, the tops were perfectly done, little crusty and sugary and the rest so fluffy.
I’m just going to keep commenting as the professional eater!
Brian gave me a muffin this morning, super tasty! Fluffy but just a little chewy just like I like it
i’m definitely trying these…they look so good, and the pictures are perfect. thanks, east ville!
Lauren – Thanks and I’m glad you enjoyed the muffin.
Cate – They really are good, I hope that they come out as well for you as they did for me. Great site by the way – I’ll be sure to check in often!
These look great; I’ve been experimenting with cranberries this winter!
Brian – Cranberries are fun to mess around with, I think only partially because their longevity in the fridge lends them to becoming a kitchen staple – they’ve inspired a lot of “oh what the heck, I’ll throw in some cranberry!” moments for me this year. Cheers!
Lauren, I was looking for a simple yet delicious recipe for cranberry muffins and you would be surprised by how many are loaded with orange, pomegrantes, lemon, etc! Have you every made these whole wheat? I work with Chavrie goat cheese and I was looking for a simple recipe that I can suggest along with a bit of heaven, topping the muffins with a warm goat’s cheese for breakfast!
Thanks for a great recipe!
Corrinne – I have a few ideas for whole wheat muffins, but nothing I’ve yet blogged, so I will email you some options. I like to use goat cheese on most things that people usually associate with cream cheese. Nice to hear I’m not alone.
I also made a cranbery muffin but added orange! Yours looks really appetizing!! good stuff!!!
I was looking for a recipe with fresh cranberries and just my luck, yours was one of the first to come up!
I’m going to try this with the baggie of cranberries that have been sitting in my fridge since Thanksgiving and still look oddly perfect.
Hey, Neighbor (I live on Grand @ the FDR).
Thanks so much for this recipe. Yup – those cranberries sitting in the fridge are inspiring, aren’t they. Made an incredible cranberry relish (think orange, zest, pecans, bourbon and ginger) for a friend’s Christmas Dinner; have the ocean spray cranberry nut bread baking away in the oven as we speak…and I still have more cranberries in the freezer. Sooooooo…thank you…because these are on tap shortly.
They look positively fabulous….hope mine turn out as well.
BTW – Can you freeze them? That way I can take out and bring to work with me.
Thank you.
JT