Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Dried Cranberry Muffins

Who says cranberries are just for Thanksgiving? The sweet-tart flavor of the berries pairs perfectly with the vanilla in these muffins and the overnight rest plumps the dried fruit and makes it softer.

For something different, you can now find flavored cranberries. The orange-flavored cranberries are particularly nice in these muffins.

Dried Cranberry Muffins
Makes 12 muffins

2 1/2 cups (11 1/4 ounces) self rising flour
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl combine the flour, cranberries and sugar.

In a separate bowl, combine the milk, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla extract. Whisk to break up the egg.

Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir until combine an there are no more dry spots. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until the next day.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and spray the cups of a standard-size 12-cup muffin pan with baking spray.

Remove the batter from the refrigerator. It will have expanded. Don’t stir. Using a disher or spoon, divide the batter into the 12 muffin cups.

Bake at 325 degrees until the muffins are lightly browned on top, and they bounce back when lightly touched on top – about 25 minutes.

Remove the muffins from the oven and let them rest a minute or two before flipping them out of the pan. If necessary, you can run a thin knife around the sides of the muffins to help loosen them from the pan.

Place the muffins on a rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Yum