Creamy, Zesty, Moist and soft Orange Cranberry Muffins are the perfect dessert to sprinkle a dash of spice and excitement on your taste buds.
Orange Cranberry Muffins
When the juicy cranberries meet with zesty orange, the result is a match made in heaven. Sometimes I think that these two are born to be used together. You get a spicy, juicy and zesty flavor that cannot be obtained with any other ingredient combination. Since last week, I have been crossing this fruit vendor on my way back home who has heaps of oranges laden on his store. Every time I see him, I remember I have to make Orange Cranberry Muffins. But, I forget almost always. However, yesterday I set a reminder that I have to buy oranges to make this recipe and hence finally bought them. Finally, I made them and it was the best feeling in the world.
Cranberries are always there in my home. I just need orange to make it happen. I have used cranberries so many times before. For Cranberry Chicken, cranberry bread and etc. But, I had never made this Orange Cranberry Muffin. I had tasted it, back in India while I was on a vacation. And, its flavors have not left my taste buds until today.
How Did I Make my Orange Cranberry Muffins
I used a lot of cranberries for my muffins. I like to go crazy over them. And, this is not the case with cranberries. Be it blueberries or raspberry I love to go all fruity when baking my muffin. Or else what's the fun about it? Moreover, it gives a nice bite when you are biting into your Orange Cranberry Muffins.
I also like to use a lot of butter for my recipe. It makes it really creamy and buttery. But, not much, though. Since too much fat makes the batter sticky. Moreover, it gives a cakey crust over my muffins which I really like.
I didn't use eggs for this recipe (since you know, I hate eggs) So, I have used thick Greek yogurt and vinegar instead. They make my muffins moist and doesn't make me miss the eggs.
I have also used 1/4 teaspoon of Orange Food color since I wanted to make it look a little orange! And I was also keeping in mind the gorgeous images that I could take when they would be baked.
I used just a tad bit of orange zest since too much of orange zest makes ruins the muffin. It gives a bitter taste and we don't want that.
Finally, I like to glaze it with Orange & brown sugar since it enhances the flavors of my muffins and makes it moist. Or else, it's just plain bland muffin. You can skip this if you want, but I haven't. 'Coz I really love to feel the orange juices married with lots and lots of juicy cranberries as I bite into them. Moreover, the glaze adds some richness into my muffins enhancing its texture and flavors even more.
Orange Cranberry Muffins
INGREDIENTS
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup Refined Flour
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1 pinch Salt
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup Brown Sugar
- ¼ cup Softened Butter
- ¼ teaspoon Orange Extract
- ¼ teaspoon Orange Food Color
- 1 dash Orange Zest
- ¼ cup Thick Greek Yoghurt
- 2 teaspoon Orange Juice
- ½ teaspoon Vinegar
- 1 cup Cranberry
For Orange Glaze
- ¼ cup Orange Juice
- 2 teaspoon Brown Sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
- First mix in the dry ingredients.
- Cream butter and sugar with a hand blender at high speed for 2-3 minutes. Use some warm milk if needed to get a creamy consistency.
- Now add all the other wet ingredients (Orange Extract, Orange Food Color, Orange Zest, Orange Juice, Yogurt, Vinegar)
- Whisk all the wet ingredients at high speed for at least 1 minute.
- Now mix in the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients.
- Whisk with a handheld blender for one minute (until you get a lumpy consistency).
- Add the chopped cranberries (room temperature) and fold it into the mixture.
- Grease the muffin pan with oil or butter and pour the batter in it. Pour as much as you can. (Fill it till the top for well-risen muffins)
- Pre-heat your oven at 420F OR 220C. Bake for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, reduce the temperature by 100 degrees and bake for another 5 minutes.
- Allow the muffins to cool down and then take them out of the tray.
Glazing
- Mix orange juice with brown sugar (you can use granulated white sugar also) and whisk with a handheld blender or a spoon until you get a smooth glaze.
- Glaze your Orange Cranberry Muffins with the freshly prepared orange glaze.
- Serve it with a scoop of Ice Cream to make it a fantastic dessert.
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