Cranberry Walnut Muffins

Photo by Bill Brady

Here is a breakfast muffin worth waking up for.  Actually I think of them as anytime muffins.  Inhale them as they come out of the oven and you’ll want to bite into the soft cakelike crumb right away.

Need :  2 muffin tins (not mini)  Fill any unfilled cups halfway with water to prevent over browning of the muffins or warping of the pan. Makes 16 muffins. 

Ingredients

½ cup butter plus more for preparing muffin tins

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 t baking powder

¼ t salt

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

2/3 cup sour cream

Zest from one orange

½ cup chopped walnuts

½ cup dried cranberries, steeped in hot water until plumped and then drained

Procedure

1. Butter muffin tins.

2. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt onto a sheet of wax paper and set aside.

3. In an electric stand mixer cream butter and sugar until light and creamy.  Add one egg at a time.

4. Take mixer bowl off stand.  Fold in 1/3 of the flour at a time alternating with the sour cream.

5. Fold in orange zest, walnuts and lastly, cranberries.

6. Fill muffin tins two thirds full.

7. Place in middle of 375 degree oven for 20 minutes.  Check after 15 minutes.  A toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes.