Orange Cranberry Muffins, perfect for the holidays

Every time I make Orange Cranberry muffins it smells like Christmas. A friend I used to work with came back from Ireland and while staying at bed and breakfast they made a version of this bread and she was very impressed. I was on a mission to find the recipe and thanks to Epicurious I found one and made a couple tweaks.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1.5 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into small squares
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup coarsely chopped cranberries
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped pecans (optional)

Instructions

1. Turn oven to 350°F.
2. In a food processor or in a bowl with a pastry blender blend together the flour, the sugar, the baking powder, the salt, the baking soda, and the butter until the mixture resembles meal and transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
3. In a small bowl whisk together the zest, the juice, sour cream and the eggs, add the mixture to the flour mixture, and stir the batter until it is just combined.
4. Stir in the cranberries and the pecans and transfer the batter to a muffin pan with muffin liners.
5. Bake until a tester comes out clean. The muffins typically bake for 25 minutes.
6. Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes and turn it out onto a rack.

The recipe can be made into either a loaf or muffins. I like making muffins because they are great for sharing and keeping the serving size small. These muffins would be a great treat for co-workers during the holiday season as well as Christmas morning breakfast. Serve warm with a little bit of butter. (Kerrygold Butter is my favorite).

Couple Tips for the best Orange Cranberry Muffins:

• Use a food processor to chop the cranberries
• When blending the dry ingredients with the butter, I also use the food processor. It mixes the ingredients well.
• Always toast your nuts before adding to the batter