Cranberry Swirl Muffins

This isn't a recipe you make just because you have leftover cranberry sauce.  

I mean, if you have some leftover, sure, make this recipe, it's freakin delish.

What I'm trying to say is this:  this recipe is so good that you may find yourself making cranberry sauce just to make this recipe. 

These are the perfect little rays of sunshine to the gloomy beginnings of winter.  They're perfect for breakfast or as a coffee-break snack.  They're just a bit tart from the cranberry, and just a bit sweet.  

A word of warning: This recipe is made based on the use of cranberry sauce, not just whole cranberries.  If you just add cranberries (or blueberries, or other fruit you may want to sub), these muffins will be a bit dry.  The added moisture from the cranberry sauce being swirled into the batter is what keeps these so moist.  

In fact, when experimenting, I made these muffins two ways: 

One- The Cranberry Stuffed Muffin.  I placed just a bit of cranberry sauce in the middle of the batter and covered it up for a cranberry surprise.  

Two- The Cranberry Swirl Muffin.  I placed a little bit more of cranberry sauce in the middle of the muffin, covered it, and used a toothpick to gently swirl it together.

The results?  The cranberry stuffed muffin was a bit dry, but the cranberry swirl was perfectly moist.  

So without further ado:

Cranberry Swirl Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup whole milk

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 large egg

4 oz (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 tbsp orange zest

1 tbsp orange juice

1/2 cup cranberry sauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

1. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

2. In a separate large bowl, whisk the egg.  Whisk in the sugar, and when combined, add the milk, vanilla extract, orange juice, and zest.  Add the butter (it should be melted completely but NOT hot or it will cook the egg!)

3.  Add the flour mixture gradually to the egg mixture, a bit at a time.  Stir only to combine the dry ingredients to the wet, do not overmix. 

4. Pour into paper-lined muffin pan (I made mini muffins).  Bake mini muffins for 10-12 minutes, and regular muffins for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out dry.  Cool on wire rack. 

Chocolate Cookies AND Banana Maple Creme Muffins

Have a box of apple cake mix lying around and in the mood for chocolate cookies?  Cursing yourself for not buying some chocolate cookie mix for a quick chocolaty cookie snack?  

Or perhaps you have a ripe banana you'd rather bake in a sweet treat than eat it on it's own?

You're in luck. I brought these to an open house last night for Partylite candles, who also has a food line by Two Sister's Gourmet.  I've made this mix before as apple cake, and it's good, but I wanted to show how versatile the mix is.  So I made gooey chocolate cookies- they're soft, rich, and gooey, and so chocolaty!

And the banana muffins were moist, the maple creme adding a little sweetness, and the apple cake mix adding some cinnamon and spices. 

They were a hit. 

On a side note- I told The Boyfriend I made cookies, and he's like 'You gotta stop makin' cookies all the time babe.' (We try not to eat so many sweets). Told him don't worry, they're just for the open house.  

Later that night, with cookies leftover, I text him if he wants me to bring some home, and he says 'HELLS YEAH I DO.'   Guess he liked them.

They were at hit at the party too, and recipes were requested.  So here they are!

Zucchini Muffins with Apricot Cream Cheese

My overabundance of zucchini led me to another zucchini recipe:

Zucchini Muffins with Apricot Cream Cheese

2 zucchinis, grated
2 cups flour
1/4 cup yogurt
1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
2 egg
6 tbsp butter, melted
juice from 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped

Preheat oven to 375.

Grease muffin pans.  (I made 6 regular sized muffins and 24 mini muffins)

Squeeze out all water from zucchini.  I used paper towels, squeezing excess water from handfuls of zucchini.  Lightly salt, and set in colander to drain further.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking power, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, yogurt, butter, lemon juice, and sugar until incorporated.

Fold the wet yogurt mixture into the flour mixture until just barely combined.  Add the zucchini, apricots and raisins.  Fold gently until ingredients are incorporated, but do not overmix.

Pour batter into prepared pans until 3/4 full.

Bake 8 minutes, checking on mini muffins. Bake until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire racks.

        Apricot Cream Cheese

8 oz cream cheese, room temp
1/3 cup apricot jam
1tsp Cointreau liquor (or any orange liquor)
2 tbsp confectioners sugar


Mix all ingredients.  Set aside to let flavors mingle.  After zucchini muffins are cooled completely, spread cream cheese on top, and decorate if desired.

A few other fave summertime recipes:

Zucchini Spaghetti with Spring Vegetables

Grilled Shrimp and Smashed Avocado