Orange Cranberry Muffins

 

Orange Cranberry Muffins

Ingredients:

Topping

¼ cup sugar

grated zest of ½ an orange

Muffins

2 ½ cup all-purpose flour

2 ½ tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 ⅛ cup sugar

2 large eggs

4 Tbl. unsalted butter, melted and cooled

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. almond extract

grated zest of ½ an orange

1 ½ cups fresh cranberries, divided

Directions: 

1. For the Topping: Stir the sugar and orange zest together in a small bowl until combined and fragrant; set aside.

2. For the Muffins: Preheat oven to 425ºF.  Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and spray with cooking spray.  Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl; set aside. In a separate medium bowl whisk together the sugar and eggs until thick and lemon colored.  Slowly whisk in the butter and oil until combined.  Whisk in the buttermilk, vanilla, almond extract and orange zest.  Pour wet ingredients into dry along with 1¼ cups of the cranberries.  Fold together until just combined; do not over mix.

3. Fill muffins cups full with batter, mounding slightly.  Press the remaining ¼ cup of cranberries into the top of the muffins and sprinkle with orange sugar topping.  Bake for 16–17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  

Makes 12 muffins.