This is my new favorite cranberry muffin recipe!
I’ve been fighting this fall-loving feeling for the last few weeks. Unfortunately, the beginning of fall doesn’t only make me think of apple pie and beautiful falling leaves. It also makes me think of things like: the Polar Vortex of 2013 [shudders], raking those beautiful leaves, salt-encrusted cars, expensive heating bills, and racing around town looking for last minute Christmas gifts.
Don’t I sound like such a grinch?
After one bite of these tangerine-soaked cranberry muffins…the grinch is dead.
You’ve won, REO Speedwagon. I can’t fight this feeling anymore.
I must have you NOW, fall recipes.
Because with all the downsides to colder weather, there are upsides, too:
- Fat clothes. We secretly love those big sweaters and down coats that cover EVERYTHING.
- Pumpkin spices
- ParTAYS – free food, free drinks, lampshades on your coworkers’ heads – what’s not to love?
- Excuses to eat many, many things
- Hot chocolate
- Twinkling lights on every street
- Crackling fires
After January 1st, I can’t help you. It’s every man for himself as we all hunker down and pray for spring. But for now, LET’S EAT and be thankful.
Fall Spiced Cranberry Muffins with Tangerine Glaze
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
- Zest of 1 tangerine (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1 teaspoon fresh squeezed tangerine juice
- 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (if using frozen do not thaw)
- A few tablespoons of Turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw) or some other coarse sugar for sprinkling (optional – this will give the top a nice crunch)
Tangerine Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons fresh squeezed tangerine juice
- 1–2 tablespoons milk (optional – see instructions)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray muffin pan with non-stick baking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and cardamom. Whisk together and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, lightly whisk the eggs. Add granulated sugar and dark brown sugar and stir to combine. Next, whisk in buttermilk, oil, vanilla, tangerine zest, and 1 teaspoon of tangerine juice.
- With a large spoon, slowly fold in wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Be careful not to over-mix! Just slowly stir until barely combined (you will still see some flour lumps).
- Gently fold in cranberries. Batter will be lumpy.
- Spoon batter into muffin pans. Sprinkle muffin tops with course sugar.
- Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes. Without taking the muffins out of the oven, reduce heat to 375° and bake for additional 22-23 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool muffins in pan for 10 minutes before removing them. Cool completely before adding glaze.
- To make glaze: combine powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons tangerine juice with a whisk. (If you want to thin it out, add a little milk. To thicken it up, add more powdered sugar. Note: if you’d like a tartness to your muffins, don’t add any milk to the glaze. Adding the milk dilutes the tangerine flavor and makes it more sweet than tart, which is yummy, too, but good to note.) Drizzle glaze over muffins and serve.
Notes
Makes 1 dozen muffins.
More great recipes at www.thekitchensnob.com
Wicked Good Cupcakes
This looks great, I will try this recipe.
Thanks, Vanessa. Enjoy!
Nothing beats a good home baked muffin. I can definitely picture myself making this recipe soon and in the upcoming Christmas season.. loving the combination of cranberry and tangerine especially. Pinned!
Thanks, Thalia!
Those look wonderful and the pictures look like you could eat them right off the page!
Thanks, Gardengirl. I’m thinking of making more and freezing them to see how they hold up. This will give me a good excuse to make them again. 🙂
YUMMMM-MEEE! These look divine! All I need are tangerines & buttermilk and I’m good to start baking … oh, and waiting for it to cool down a little here in the armpit of Hades! I have a technical question for the snob, why do you have to use DARK brown sugar? Do you know if it would really screw things up if I used light brown?
You can use light brown sugar. However, it will change the flavor some (was going for that hint of holiday molasses to go with the fall spices) and the dark brown sugar makes them a tad more moist. I made them the first time with light brown sugar and preferred the dark.
THESE LOOK ABSOLUTELY DELISH!!! YOU GO GIRL!! YUMMMMMMY! AND THE PHOTOS LOOK AWESOME TOO!
Thanks, Robin! These are so good that I’ll be making them again soon.