Cranberry Streusel Muffins

A happy accident equals a delicious new recipe.

These muffins were born out of a recipe that went awry when I forgot to set the oven timer and accidentally baked my cranberries instead of drying them out. Never one to pass up an opportunity, I took my softened cranberries and married them with my go-to muffin base, and voila!

Because fresh cranberries are used, the prep time on this recipe is significantly longer because of the marinating time for the berries, but I promise it’s worth it. The resulting flavour is the perfect combination of sweet and tart, and the streusel topping takes these treats right over the top to spectacular.

Every goddess mucks things up in the kitchen once in a while, but don’t despair. Once recipe’s mistake could just be the next recipe’s dream come true.
— CFG

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Ingredients

• 12-16 muffin liners (12 jumbo, 16 regular)

• 3 1/4 cups of flour

• 4 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 1/3 cups of sugar (for very tart cranberries, consider 1 1/2 cups of sugar)

• 2 eggs

• 1/2 cup of melted butter

• 1 1/4 cups of milk

• 1/2 cup of sour cream AND 1/2 cup of cottage cheese —OR— 1 cup of either (you can also use ricotta cheese)

• 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract

• 1 zested lemon

  
  For Cranberries

• 1 package of cranberries

• 1 can sparkling pop (lemon-lime, ginger ale, etc.)

• 1 cup orange juice

• 1 rounded cup of icing sugar

  For Streusel

• 1 1/4 cup flour

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

• 1/3 cup sugar

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 6 tbsp butter, melted

• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)

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Directions

1. The day before making the muffins, place 1 pkg of fresh cranberries in a ziploc-style bag. Add 1 can of sparkling pop and about 1 cup of orange juice to the bag.

2. Remove as much air as possible from the bag, then seal and let marinade in the fridge for 12-24 hours (the longer you soak, the less tart the berries will be).

3. To prepare cranberries on the day of baking, drain the liquid from the bag, then add 1 rounded cup of icing sugar into the bag. Try to capture as much air as possible into the bag, then seal and shake vigourously to cover the berries completely. Next, spread the berries onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and shake them so they are loose and no berries are stuck together.

4. Bake at 200F for 25-30 minutes so berries are softened but not mushy. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

To Prepare Muffins:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line 12- 16 muffin cups with paper liners (depending on how large a muffin you prefer).

2. In a large bowl mix together 3 1/4 cups of flour, 4 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt.

3. In a separate bowl (or stand mixer) combine 1 1/3 cups of sugar (or 1 1/2 cups of sugar for sweeter), 2 eggs, and 1/2 cup of melted butter until blended together.

4. Next, add in 1 1/4 cups of milk, 1/2 cup of sour cream, 1/2 cup of cottage cheese (or combination as listed in ingredients), 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract and 1 zested lemon in a large bowl. Beat on low speed until blended and then add in the flour mixture until batter is moistened and smooth.

5. Fold in the cooled cranberries just until combined. You want to create a marble effect without over-turning the batter and breaking the berries.

6. Fill large muffin cups 3/4 full of batter, then set aside.

7. In a small mixing bowl blend together 1 1/4 cup flour, 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 1/3 cup of granulated sugar, 1/4 tsp of salt, 1/2 cup of finely chopped walnuts (optional), and 6-7 tbsp of melted butter.

8. Top each muffin with the streusel topping then bake in the oven until golden brown, about 35 minutes. (You may need to bake a few extra minutes to brown the streusel to your liking.) Let cool for 10 minutes.

9. Serve and enjoy!