Thursday, November 20, 2008

Cranberry-Tangerine Muffins

Finally I bake something and don't completely screw it up. And I only had to make one frantic phone call to my mother. This was my week to bring for my office's Friday morning Breakfast Club. I signed up to be in the "club" just so I'd have an excuse to bake something new and share it. Then how come for the last two or three rotations, I have bought muffins at the store to bring? Like all good things, it starts out with coffee cake and banana bread and ends up with Winchell's doughnuts. Getting into the season, I dedided on cranberry-orange muffins (inspiration thanks to Jess). Except that I didn't have any oranges, just tangerines. Details, details.

The recipe also required chopping the cranberries. What are these people trying to do? Impale me? The cranberries were rolling all over the place. I found them on the floor, in the egg carten, in the drawer for utensils.

But look how pretty and festive they are: Here's a confession that will likely suprise no one: This is what my kitchen looks like after I try baking something. Megan had just washed a bunch of dishes and cleaned off the counter maybe 15 minutes before I came and destroyed it again. Also note the aluminum muffin trays in the background. Good for two reasons: 1.) they're cheap, 2.) they're all I could find at the grocery store. I hope they're not one-time-use, because I will be using them until they melt. Cranberry-Tangerine Muffins: 1 3/4 cup flour 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 beaten egg 3/4 cup milk 1/4 cup cooking oil grated peel from 1 orange (tangerine) 1 cup coarsely chopped cranberries Line tray with paper muffin cups. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Make a well in the center of the mixture. In another mixing bowl, combine egg, milk, oil and peel (for more orangey flavor, replace milk with orange juice). Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture. Stir just until moistened. Add cranberries. Batter should be a bit lumpy. Spoon batter into cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake for 20 minutes until golden. Makes 12 muffins.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ooh, those look yummy!

Jess said...

Did you like them?
By the way, you're hilarious - about the muffin tins and the rolling cranberries. It is a painstaking recipe for me, because I usually end up slicing each and every cranberry one at a time to avoid them rolling off the counter.
They look like they turned out great, though!

Jess said...

p.s. did you make the recipe yourself? or adapt a different one?

Lainey Seyler said...

i used a cranberry muffin recipe from a better homes and gardens baking cookbook but added the peel myself to get the orange part.

i really don't know how i haven't ended up at the er from chopping. (knock on wood)

Anonymous said...

i want one...or two. And I also love that you are going to use those tins until they melt. I miss sharing a kitchen with you even though it looks like that:)

Jess said...

technical question - how in the world did you take that picture where you're zesting the tangerine? you know, the one with both of your hands in the shot. how did you do it!?

Lainey Seyler said...

i held the camera in my mouth and pushed the shutter with my tongue. just kidding. those are my roommate's hands.

Lainey Seyler said...

i held the camera in my mouth and pushed the shutter with my tongue. just kidding. those are my roommate's hands.