Cranberry Orange Muffins
A 300 calorie sweet tart grab and go treat is only moments away. Whip up a batch and snatch one up during the morning rush or take one with you for a late afternoon snack.
The consumption of cranberries has been linked to reducing the risk of certain cancers, lowers your risk for a urinary tract infection, improves the immune system and can decrease your blood pressure. Cranberries are harvested from September -Novemeber. Keep your eyes open for fresh cranberries in your grocery store when fall is upon us.
Oranges are packed with vitamin C. Eating one orange will provide you with over 100% of your daily vitamin C needs. We are almost out of season for Naval oranges, which are available from November to June. However, Valencia oranges are being harvested until October.
Even though we are not in peak season for cranberries, this combination of red and orange makes for a wonderfully refreshing summertime breakfast or afternoon snack. Pick up a bag of frozen cranberries today.
CRANBERRY ORANGE MUFFINS:
Serving Size: 9 large muffins (308 Calories) or 12 small muffins (231 Calories)
Active Time: 20 minutes
1 stick of unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1/4 cup of buttermilk
1/4 cup of fresh squeezed orange juice, about 1 orange
Zest of 1 orange
2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt
1 1/2 cups of fresh or frozen cranberries, roughly chopped
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners. For larger muffins, use a fluted type cupcake liner. The ones in the picture are from a website called webstaurant.com. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and orange juice.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the orange zest, flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
Add the each egg to the butter mixture, one at a time until each egg has been incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl, pour in 1/3 of the flour and mix just until the flour disappears. Add 1/2 of the milk and orange juice and mix. Repeat these steps with the other 1/3 of flour, then the remaining milk and orange juice. Once incorporated, pour in the remaining flour and beat for another minute.
Give the cranberries a rough chop and fold them into the batter. Scoop the batter evenly among the cupcake liners. Top with orange sugar and bake for 20-25 minutes. The muffins are done when you can stick a toothpick in the center and the toothpick comes out clean.
PREPARATION TIP: Store muffins in an airtight container for up to 3 days. If you don't think you can eat all these muffins during that time frame, tightly wrap a few in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag for up to a week. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
ORANGE SUGAR:
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
Zest of 1 orange
Mix together the sugar and the zest. Sprinkle the sugar over the top of the muffins before baking. Keep in mind, the more orange sugar you sprinkle on the top of each muffin increases the amount of calories you will ingest.
PREPARATION TIP:Don't throw away any left over orange sugar. This is a welcomed addition in a cup of iced or hot tea.
Did you want to make a quick bread instead of muffins?
Follow the directions above for making the batter and preheating the oven.
In a loaf pan, line the long side with parchment paper and coat with non stick cooking spray.
Fill the loaf pan with the batter and bake for 40-60 minutes. Keep in mind every oven is different. Having an oven thermometer will help you understand if your oven runs too cold, too hot or just right. Stick a toothpick in the center of the bread and if it comes out clean, the bread is done.
Let the loaf cool on a wire rack for ten minutes before removing it from the pan. Let it cool completely before slicing.
Top the bread with an ORANGE GLAZE:
1 cup of powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons of fresh squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon of orange zest
Mix together all the ingredients and spoon over the warm bread.