CranMuffins (CRANBERRY MUFFINS)

Season of fresh cranberries in New England.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup cranberries, quartered
• 8 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/3 cup cooking oil
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel, optional
• Cinnamon sugar

DIRECTIONS

Sprinkle cranberries with 2 tablespoons sugar; set aside. Sift remaining sugar, flour, baking powder and salt into large mixing bowl. In separate bowl, beat egg, milk and oil. Make a hole in center of dry ingredients; pour in liquid ingredients. Stir only until mixed; do not overmix. Add berries and lemon peel. Fill greased standard or extra-large muffin cups with mixture. Sprinkle tops of muffins with cinnamon-sugar. Bake at 400° about 18 minutes for standard-size muffins or about 22 minutes for extra-large muffins.

Yield: 12 standard-size

Originally published as Cranberry Muffins in Country February/March 1991.

Now, if you want to pretend it's healthy to eat 3-4 muffins with your evening tea, substitute sugar with brown sugar, substitute 1/2 flour with oats, I guess it will still taste good. And, of course, if you have a lot of physical activity, sports and otherwise, or you are a young child with quick metabolism, these muffins are exceptionally good. 

I halved cranberries,  not quartered, worked fine. Cinnamon sugar is just a mix of ground cinnamon and brown sugar.