Do You Know the Muffin Man?

A few days ago, I wrote about cranberry streusel muffins and that I would soon try my hands at making them. I am happy to say a batch of muffins was made today. I saw the recipe in this cookbook that I bought at Crate and Barrel.

photo from Crate and Barrel

It's interesting that the cookbook is for kids, because this recipe called for numerous steps that were a bit beyond kid level, in my humble opinion. But I guess with help from others, it could be a fun time spent with a little one. I turned on some music and started assembling my ingredients. A little while later, out popped eighteen of the most pretty muffins, oozing with cranberry goodness.

I know my friend Rikki would take so many more creative pictures than I got, but I tried to snap some pictures that showed off my first batch. And some were enjoyed throughout dinner tonight with some of my family gathered around the dinner table.

Don't you just want to take one of these muffins and gobble it down?

Here's the recipe if you missed it:

Cranberry Streusel Muffins

1 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 c sugar

1 T baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

a pinch of salt

1 stick unsalted butter, chilled and diced

1/2 c chopped mixed nuts

2 cups fresh cranberries

grated peel of 1 orange

2 T unsalted butter, melted

(makes 12-18)

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Put buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla in a small bowl and whisk lightly.

3. Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the chilled, diced butter and rub into the dry ingredients using your fingertips. When the mixture looks like bread crumbs, add the chopped nuts and mix to combine. Scoop out about 1/2 c of the dry mixture and set aside in a separate bowl.

4. Add the egg mixture to the large bowl and mix until only just combined. Add the cranberries and orange peel and fold in briefly.

5. Spoon the mixture into the muffin liners, filling them almost to the top. 

6. Pour the melted butter into the reserved dry ingredients and mix with a fork until crumbly. Scatter evenly over the muffins.

7. Put the muffin pan on the middle shelf of the oven. Bake for about 20 min. or until golden and a wooden skewer inserted into the middle of the muffin comes out clean.