Cranberry Orange Muffin

Ingredients

makes 24 mini muffins

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened, plus more for preparing the muffin pan
• 1 tsp grated orange zest
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped(optional)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line the mini muffin pan with baking cups, or lightly butter the pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, cream together sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add one egg at a time,  and beat them until smooth. 
4. Stir in the  juice, milk and vanilla extract. Add in the dry ingredients, together with the dried cranberries and chopped pecans, and stir until combined.
5. Fill the batter into muffin cups two-thirds full. 
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes for mini muffins; 15-18 minutes for regular muffins or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

It is summer time and I am longing for the tangy and sweet flavors of cranberry muffins. I was thinking about swapping blueberries with cranberries since they are in season now, but, instead, I made some modifications, to use what I have in my pantry... dried cranberries. It'd be perfect if I could find some pecans :-)