King Cranberry Orange Muffins
Cranberries for Christmas! [Photo Credit: Alex Paternostro]
by Seth Paternostro
November 30, 2021
Red in bursts, but buried in flavor, these cranberry orange muffins are king! During Thanksgiving season, when stores sell our tart requisite on the cheap, we always grab a few extra bags to freeze. One never knows when a muffin urge will strike, so we like to be prepared any time of the year.
I recommend making these handsome fellows as a Sunday morning treat. Enjoy them alongside family, friends, and coffee or tea. With the sun streaming in, Angèle on the speakers, and some time to relax, savour the process—wifts of orange zest brightening the air, spoonfuls of batter plopping into tins—because the muffins won’t stick around long. The first time I made these, a dozen didn’t last a day.
Serves 12 (if just one per person)
Total time
35 minutes
Equipment:
muffin tin (12 count), 12 liners, fine mesh strainer, large mixing bowl, stand mixer with paddle attachment (or another mixing bowl), whisk, silicone spatula, measuring cups and spoons, skewer, microplane zester
Tableware:
hands
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsps baking powder
½ tsp fine sea salt
½ cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup white sugar, plus as needed
¼ cup brown sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
Zest of ½ orange, or about 2 tsps
1 tsp vanilla
¼ cup skim milk
¼ cup buttermilk
2 cups cranberries
Instructions
Set out all ingredients and equipment. Line the muffin tin. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Sift the flour, baking powder, and fine sea salt into a mixing bowl. Whisk briefly to combine.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment to cream the butter and both sugars until fluffy and well-combined.
Add the eggs, vanilla, and orange zest to the butter mixture, mixing until homogenous.
Alternate folding in a third of the flour mixture and half of the milks to the butter base, mixing until just combined for a light crumb.
Crush a handful of the cranberries over the mixture, then fold them in with the remaining whole berries. Take care not to overmix.
Spoon out about ¼ cup batter for each muffin. Evenly distribute what is left.
Sprinkle a pinch of sugar on top of each muffin, then bake for about 25 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
Cool for at least 15 minutes before enjoying.
Note: If you do not have a stand mixer, then cream the butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl and use a silicone spatula to fold in the rest of the ingredients.
NUTRITION FACTS:
Calories 193 Total Fat 8.4g (11%) Saturated Fat 5.1g (26%) Cholesterol 48mg (16%) Sodium 99mg (4%) Total Carbohydrate 27.8g (10%) Dietary Fiber 0.9g (3%) Total Sugars 20.9g Protein 2.1g Vitamin D 3mcg (13%) Calcium 60mg (5%) Iron 1mg (3%) Potassium 156mg (3%) - Note: Please read our Nutrition Disclaimer.
Seth Paternostro is a writer and recipe developer based in Chicago. He is a co-founder of Our American Cuisine and graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University with an A.B. in East Asian Studies. You can learn more about him here.
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