Great to be back at Tastes of Lizzy T’s today. I am Sherri, the youngest sister in the trio over at Made From Pinterest. I just recently sent my oldest sister Debbie a text that read: “You awful woman! Those White Chocolate Cranberry Blondies  you told me I HAD to make are going to torture me until I get rid of them at the choral concert tonight. Ate too much batter, ate too much frosting, ate two tiny pieces and I CAN’T STOP THINKING ABOUT THEM!”I really can’t stop thinking about them. They came to mind again when I was making Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake, one of my daughter’s all time favorite breakfasts. So I have combined the flavor of orange and cranberry from the blondies with the recipe for breakfast cake and came up with these uh-mazing Cranberry Orange Muffins.Only when I tasted the batter before baking (Because all good bakers do, right? You just have to lick the beater.), I realized something was wrong. They were salty. I had accidentally put twice the amount of salt the recipe calls for. So, I did what any sensible baker would do, and doubled the recipe. It was more than we could eat, and I was trying to think of a way to have them again (Because now the batter tasted incredible!).

I spooned the batter into paper muffin cups, froze half, and baked the other half. Now when I want a muffin for breakfast, I pop the frozen muffin dough into the muffin tin, put it in the preheated oven and bake for 5 – 10 minutes longer than usual. Love it! Fresh muffins, no prep, no mess. With school out for winter break, these will be a perfect special breakfast that will let you relax and enjoy you time with your kiddos!

Cranberry Orange Muffins

Ingredients:

½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tsp orange zest or more – zest from 1 large orange
⅞ cup sugar (3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons – 2 Tablespoons are for sprinkling on top)
1 egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups dried cranberries
½ cup fresh buttermilk – if buttermilk is closer to the sell by date and thick, may need as much as another half cup.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream butter with orange zest and 3/4 cup of sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt.
Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk.
Fold in cranberries.
Grease a muffin tin or with butter or spray paper muffin cups with non stick spray. Spoon batter into cups 3/4 full.. Sprinkle muffins with remaining tablespoons of sugar.
Bake for 35 minutes. Check with a toothpick for doneness. If necessary, return pan to oven for a couple of more minutes.
(Note: Baking for as long as 10 minutes more might be necessary.)
Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.