Cranberry (Orange) Walnut Muffins

These muffins were extremely tasty…but not very pretty.

So a few weeks (two weeks?  Three?) I had an attack of hypochondria based on some vague symptoms.  The upshot of this is that I found out that unsweetened cranberry juice is really disgusting.  And I had a lot left over.

Based on this recipe, I substituted cranberry juice for soy milk, which worked well, except that something, possibly the reaction with the baking soda/baking powder turned it kind of gray.  But they’re very tasty gray muffins, with sweet cranberries and just enough walnuts to give them some crunch.

Ingredients

2/3 c. dried cranberries, soaked in

1/2 c. hot water

1 c. whole wheat flour

1 c. white flour

3/4 c. sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

1/2 c. orange juice

1/2 c. unsweetened cranberry juice

1/3 c. melted margarine or butter

1/4 c. walnuts

Methodology

  1. Plump the cranberries (put them in hot water and let them sit).  Preheat oven to 400°.
  2. Mix the dry ingredients (flours, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda).
  3. In a separate bowl, mix the orange juice, cranberry juice, and margarine.  Drain the cranberries and add those.
  4. Break the egg into the bowl of dry ingredients and mix it around.  Add the wet ingredients and stir quickly until mixed.  Add the walnuts.
  5. Spoon about 1/4 c. at a time into greased muffin tins.  Bake 12-14 minutes, until a tester is clean.

Notes

  • I know B was enthusiastic when he downed three of these as soon as he walked in the door.  I enjoyed them too, even though I’m not usually one for baked goods without chocolate chips.
  • Mine made 14 muffins.  I see now that I forgot to put the water that the cranberries had been soaking in into the batter, which would have probably made slightly more?  I also forgot the orange zest – that’s why the word orange is in parentheses above.
  • I used orange juice from concentrate – I melted some tablespoons of it in the microwave, then added some water until it tasted right and I had 1/2 c.