When a friend of mine mentioned she’d been craving Cranberry Muffins, I started wondering why I always call them Cranberry Orange Muffins, but I use craisins. Craisins make sense in a biscotti, something dry, or a cookie, because it’s so small, but shouldn’t a muffin contain the actual fruit?
It’s the holiday season, so fresh cranberries abound, and they feel so much more festive. I decided to divide my muffin dough into 3 parts, adding craisins to 1/3, fresh cranberries to 1/3, and frozen cranberries to 1/3. Then I took a picture to remember which were fresh and which were frozen. Doesn’t look like the muffin dough is evenly dispersed 
does it? I’ve got a scale right in front of me! How can I truly decide which muffin is the best if I don’t keep everything else equal? Well this is a picture of what I looked like when it was time to measure out the dough.
Side note on using fresh or frozen fruit in baking. Whenever I use fresh I toss them in one tablespoon of flour. From what I’ve been told this helps to keep the fruit from sinking to the bottom of the tin (although I’m not positive this is necessary). When I use frozen fruit I don’t add any flour and I don’t have a sinking problem. So should one use fresh or frozen fruit when baking? Ok, I have a strong opinion on this and hopefully Mary Berry never hears it or she might give me one of those, “well we will shall see” looks and tell me to continue, but I can tell there is a hint of all-knowing, and I begin to question all I know about baking. Then Paul Hollywood quickly wraps up the conversation by staring at the fruit with his piercing blue eyes, followed by a few well intentioned puns by Mel or maybe Baby Spice.*
All of that aside, this is what I believe about baking with fruit: USE FROZEN. Why do I love frozen fruit in baking?
- all the amazing qualities of eating fresh fruit are lost after baking, so there is no difference
- frozen fruit is generally less expensive
- I live in Missouri and the quality of certain fresh fruits aren’t so great year round
- if you don’t use the entire bag, just put it back in the freezer for later, they won’t go bad, and you don’t have to feel guilty about wasting food
- they don’t sink to the bottom of your muffins or breads while baking
When should you not use frozen? When the local farm is open for berry picking or the local apple orchard is selling flats, use those fresh fruits for everything and anything!
Back to the Cranberry Orange Muffins at hand, which ones were the best? I loved the ones with the real cranberries, biting into the cranberries and tasting that real tartness was very pleasant. What if you are one of those people who love Cranberry Orange Muffins for the orange flavor and icing and not so much the cranberry? Then stick with the craisins.
Honestly I believe the ones made with the frozen cranberries turned out the best. They were bright and didn’t sink. Although it’s not completely fair to compare as I obviously used more of the mixture on the muffins with the frozen cranberries (thanks to Charlie’s assistance). Can’t find frozen cranberries? You can freeze them yourself on a sheet pan, and store the unused cranberries in a freezer safe container for the next time you make cranberry orange muffins.
After they cooled I added a little orange drizzle, just enough to make them indulgent, but not so much that someone would question if they are still muffins.
Cranberry Orange Muffins
- 2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 t baking powder
- 1/4 t salt
- 1 stick butter (softened)
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 t vanilla
- 1 t orange extract
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 cup cranberries (frozen)
- cooking spray (or vegetable oil with a paper towel)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together lightly with a fork.
- In a mixing bowl cream together butter and sugar until combined.
- Add 2 eggs, 1 t orange extract, and 1 t vanilla to the creamed butter and sugar and mix until the eggs are fully incorporated.
- Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet. You can mix with the electric mixer or with a rubber spatula, but just until you don’t see any more flour. If you are using an electric mixer you will need the spatula for the sides of the bowl.
- Add 1/2 cup milk and mix until just combined.
- Add the rest of the dry mixture and mix one last time until just combined.
- Add the cranberries and stir in with a rubber spatula.
- Use the cooking spray to evenly cover each muffin hole on a pan with 12 muffin spots. You can also use a 6 muffin pan, or a mini muffin pan and adjust cooking times. If you aren’t using cooking spray, use a paper towel to wipe the inside of the holes with vegetable oil or butter.
- Scoop muffin mix into the tin using two spoons or a cookie scoop.
- Bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. The muffins are done if you poke them with a toothpick and it comes out clean.
- Let them cool in the muffin pan for a few minutes, then use a butter knife to go around the sides of each muffin to pop them out.
- Drizzle with orange icing.
- 1 Tablespoon melted butter
- 1/8 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon orange extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- I like to melt the butter in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl big enough for all of the ingredients and then whisk in the milk, orange extract, and powdered sugar. Whisk until smooth and then drizzle over your muffins. Add more powdered sugar for a thicker icing and more milk for a thinner icing.
- Eat immediately or let cool completely and store on the counter in a air tight container for up to 4 or 5 days. They also freeze well if you let them cool completely and then wrap individually in plastic wrap.
*If these names sound nonsensical to you, check out the Great British Baking Show, or one of its spinoffs. On PBS, or if you have a day to waste on the couch, most seasons are on Netflix. You’ll thank me later.
Beth Bakes Midwest 
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