Cranberry Nut Muffins

Cranberry Nut Muffins

Merry Christmas and a very Happy Healthy Holy New Year! This is my first blog post for 2012 and I am still in the Christmas spirit! Today is still Christmas on some of your calendars and I still have my tree up! Hubs gave me a new laptop as my big Christmas gift, he is just the most thoughtful wonderful person! Now I can blog anywhere in the world! I have one of those older brains, which takes me a while to figure out these new electronics, so please bear with me.This is why I haven't blogged in weeks, but I am excited to learn and hoping it will make my life easier! This is one of my favorite recipes for the holidays or anytime. I really love the taste of cranberries, tart and crisp the way the cranberry bursts in my mouth. It has such a clean healthful taste as it lingers on, fruity-fresh. I have made this recipe before as a bread and wanted to experiment as to how they would turn out as a muffin.My kids absolutely adore muffins, I had to shoo my daughter away just to do a photo shoot, before the muffins were all gobbled up.

I use the whole cranberries, not chopped so that the muffins are bursting with cranberry flavor. Please make sure the cranberries are completely cooled so that you don't have 3rd degree burns in your mouth like me...

I love how the cranberry muffins look with Lily's Roses!

Oh great! The Barbie muffin paper got in the shot- so professional- Right??

It's Christmas by the bay and unseasonably warm, but there are no complaints here from "The L. A. Girl"! I can get used to this Maine living...last I heard at the local donut shop is that we are going to be making up for it and it will be a "Wicked Snowy Wintah!!" OH-OH.... the word wicked and wintah is really scaring me....but wait...I can bake all day if I am snowed in..yippee!!



My favorite tugs.

I love our harbor, I am so lucky that I can walk here everyday!! I have counted my blessings for 2011 and am very excited for 2012. Happy New Year to you. Love, Nettie

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup orange or clementine juice
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
2 tablespoons Vegetable oil

1 egg, well beaten
1 1/2 cups Fresh or Frozen Cranberries ( I use whole cranberries)
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Prepare muffin tins by placing muffin papers inside.If you are doing a photo shoot, leave the Barbie papers for personal use.

Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in orange juice, orange peel, oil and egg. Mix until well blended. Stir in cranberries and nuts. Use an ice cream scooper and scoop batter into muffin papers.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Makes 18- 24 muffins, depending on size.  This recipe has been linked up with my favorite fabulous blogs!



Cranberry Clementine Almond Bread

I have been on a cranberry kick, first the Cranberry Sauce and now this moist delicious Cranberry Bread. I have always thought that another type of berry, okay it's color is blue, has the highest antioxidants than other fruit, but I was wrong, cranberries are the highest by 1.96%. Well I'll be darn. Anywho, they are a healthy treat, so have two pieces of bread!! For this bread you will need, flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, salt, 4 Clementine's, 1 egg, vegetable oil, cranberries and sliced dry toasted almonds (unsalted).

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Squeeze Clementines for their juice.

Add clementine juice and throw in another clementine if you are tired of juicing like me!

Beat an egg.

Add egg and grated Clementine peel to dry mixture. Blend well.

Add Cranberries.

Add almonds, mix well.

Mix all ingredients well.

Grease a loaf pan.

Spread batter evenly in loaf pan.

Place on baking sheet to prevent dripping in the oven. Bake at 350 degrees F for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow bread to cool on rack before taking it out of dish.

Nice transfer.

Allow bread to cool completely before glazing.

Glaze away!

This is an easy recipe that is moist and delicious. The cranberries are full of flavor and the clementines add the perfect zest in addition to the almonds crunchiness, great combination.

A slice is a perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea.

• Cranberry Clementine Almond Bread
  
  Ingredients for bread
  
  2 cups flour
  1 cup sugar
  1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  1 teaspoon baking soda
  3/4 cup clementine juice ( about four clementines)
  2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  1 tablespoon grated clementine peel
  1 egg well beaten
  1 ½ cups cranberries
  ½ cup sliced dry toasted unsalted almonds
  
  Ingredients for glaze:
  
  1/4 cup confectioners sugar
  3-4 teaspoons clementine juice
  
  Method for bread
  
  Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  Grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.
  Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda.
  Stir in juice, oil, clementine peel and beaten egg.
  Mix until blended. Spread batter evenly in prepared loaf pan.
  Bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  Cool on rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely. Drizzle glaze over bread. Makes one loaf.
  
  Method for Glaze:       
  
  Add juice 1 teaspoon at a time to sugar until a glaze consistency appears.
  
  Semi Adapted from The Oceanspray Cranberries bag.
  
  
  
  This recipe has been shared at these wonderful blogs:
  
  
  
  

Candied Orange and Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce

One of my favorite side dishes to make for Thanksgiving is Cranberry Sauce. I like to make it during other times of the year, because it is an Easy Recipe. This year I am kicking it up a notch and adding ginger and Candied Orange Peels, (see my recipe under index). Ingredients that you will need are cranberries, Candied Orange Peel, one orange for juice, ginger, sugar, butter and allspice.

Peel and grate ginger.

2 tablespoons butter and  2 teaspoons ginger.

In a medium saucepan, cook and stir ginger in hot butter over medium heat for 30 seconds.

Rinse cranberries in a colander. Drain.

Add cranberries and sugar to butter and ginger.

Squeeze the juice of one orange, 2/3 cup orange juice.

Add orange juice to cranberries.

Add 1/4 cup chopped candied orange peel to cranberry mixture

Stir in Candied Orange Peel and  Ground Allspice

Simmer uncovered about 4 minutes or until cranberries burst and sauce is slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Transfer mixture to a glass bowl . Cover and chill for 4 hours.

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 12 ounce package fresh or frozen cranberries ( 3 cups)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup candied orange peel
• 1/8 teaspoon ground   allspice

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, cook and stir ginger in hot butter over medium heat for 30 seconds. Add cranberries, sugar, orange juice, candied orange peel, and allspice. Bring to boiling, reduce heat. Simmer uncovered, about 4 minutes or until cranberries pop and sauce is slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.
2. Transfer cranberry mixture. Cover and chill for 4 hours.  (Sauce continues to thicken during chilling.) Before serving, let stand for 30 minutes at room temperature. Makes about 2-1/2 cups.
3. Make ahead- Transfer mixture to an airtight container. Cover and chill for up to 3 days.

Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens.This recipe has been shared with these wonderful blogs:

This recipe has been featured on:

bakingbad.com

Food Alchemy on a Platter, Virtual Fall Feast.