Figure 1 Image Source: Assorted Muffins

So wickedly delicious are these cranberry muffins that without further ado I will just dive straight into the recipe’s ingredients, method, serving suggestions and storage.

Ingredients:

• 1¾ Cups of Cake Flour
• 4 Ounces of Unsalted Butter
• 1 Pint of Fresh Cranberries
• ¾ Cup each of Full Cream Milk and Sugar
• ¼ Cup of Sour Cream
• 1 Large Egg
• 1 Large Egg Yolk
• 2 Teaspoons of Baking Soda
• 1 Teaspoon each of Cream of Tartar and Freshly Ground Sea Salt Rocks

Method:

1. Allow both eggs and the unsalted butter warm to room temperature
2. Adjust and reposition the oven rack to the vertical center position of your oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
3. Use butter to grease 18 standard muffin tray cups (the 2½ inch ones). It’s okay to use a non-stick cooking spray here if you want to. You may also use paper muffin cups to line the cups of your muffin tray(s). The latter method is great when the muffins are to be taken to school or work for lunch.
4. Use a medium sized mixing bowl and add in the cake flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and freshly ground sea salt. Give these dry ingredients a quick stir until they are more or less evenly distributed throughout the mixture. Now finely sift them three times. Leaving your now finely sifted dry ingredients in the sifter or strainer set them aside on a piece of wax paper.
5. Now put the pint of fresh cranberries into a suitably sized bowl and add two tablespoons of the finely sifted dry ingredients to the cranberries. Lightly toss the cranberries until they become coated by the dry ingredients (usually takes around 30 seconds).
6. In another bowl mix the milk and sour cream together and set it aside for now
7. Attach the paddle attachment to your mixer and then add the butter to your mixing bowl and using a medium speed mix the butter until it becomes pale white in color (usually takes around 3 minutes)
8. Continue beating on medium and gradually add in the sugar. Once all of the sugar has been added continue to beat (still on a medium speed) until the mixture is no longer grainy (this stage generally takes around 3 minutes). You will need to scrap down the paddle and the sides of the mixing bowl from time to time as necessary.
9. Now separate the yolk form the white of one of the eggs. Add the yolk only to your mixture and then add all of the second egg (white and yolk). Continue beating the mixture until it becomes nice and fluffy (usually takes around 3 to 4 minutes).
10. Remove bowl from mixer and place on a flat work surface then sift in half of the dry ingredients mixture. Add half of the milk/sour cream mixture to the bowl and use a large rubber spatula to fold the ingredients together. Stop folding when the ingredients are just barely combined.
11. Sift in the remaining half of the dry ingredients and then recommence gently folding the mixture with your rubber spatula. While folding non-stop gradually add in the remainder of your milk/sour cream mixture. Continue folding until mixed. Note that it is not necessary to have all of the ingredients evenly distributed throughout the mixture. Near enough will be good enough.
12. Once your batter mixture is reasonably well mixed and the ingredients are more or less evenly distributed throughout the mixture begin to sprinkle cranberries onto the top of the mixture. Continue folding to work them into the batter. Continue folding for a wee while after all of the cranberries have been added to the batter. You can stop folding once everything is just mixed or continue on until all the ingredients are evenly incorporated throughout the batter. The decision regarding how well incorporated the ingredients need to be is up to you.
13. Once the mixing and folding is done you can begin to transfer the batter into the cups of your prepared muffin tray(s). Use a spoon to do this and fill each muffin cup approximately ¾ full with cranberry muffin batter.

Figure 2 Image Source: Muffins in Oven Cooking

1. Once the batter has been loaded into the muffin cups put the muffin trays into the preheated oven and bake for around 20 minutes. If you cannot fit all of your muffin trays onto the centrally located oven rack you will be best advised to bake the muffins in a number of batches.
2. The muffins are done when their tops; which will be flat will have turned a lovely golden brown color and are springy when lightly pressed. Place the muffin tray with the muffins still in them onto a wire rack to cool for a little bit. If you are going to glaze them now would be an ideal time.
3. Having cooled for a couple of minutes you can now turn the cranberry muffins out of the muffin trays and onto a wire rack. Let the cranberry muffins cool for another 15 minutes before attempting to consume them.

Tip: If you don’t have any 6 cup muffin trays like the one shown in Figure 3 then you will be filling only half of the cups of one of your muffin trays since these portions will yield 18 muffins. In this scenario it is most advisable to use every other cup (alternate) for muffin batter and ¾ fill the non-batter containing cups with water. This will help the muffins to bake more evenly.

Figure 3: Image Source: 6 Cup Muffin Tray

Storage:

If you are planning on storing any of the muffins frozen let them cool totally before putting them into the freezer and don’t ice them. Place the muffins you wish to freeze in airtight freezer bags or better yet into vacuum sealed freezer bags. When required remove frozen muffins from the freezer and let them thaw to room temperature while still in the plastic bags.

Serving:

You can serve and consume your cranberry muffins the moment they have cooled for 15 minutes or so. Having cranberry muffins over a cup of coffee or tea is very refreshing and revitalizing. Once done you are ready to tackle the rest of the day with renewed vigor and vim.

Figure 4: Image Source: Cranberry Muffin

Icing the cranberry muffins adds a new dimension to them as does a light brushing with a honey and warm water glaze. The latter tends to give the muffins a sheen that always draws envious looks.

Remember to wrap the cranberry muffins in plastic cling wrap if you plan to include them along with a cut lunch to take to work, school or wherever.

Another serving option you might like to try is to warm your cranberry muffins and then place them onto a dessert bowl. Then add a little fruit salad, diced banana, ice cream, whipped cream, syrup and then drizzle melted chocolate over the top of all. Pop a candied cherry on top and dessert is ready.

Another favorite cranberry muffin dessert serving recipe at my place sees the cranberry muffins warmed up and accompanied by custard, whipped cream and a drizzling of golden syrup. Above all enjoy!!!