#MuffinMonday ~ Cranberry Orange Muffins

Welcome to Muffin Monday! #MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins. We post on the last Monday of each month. You can see all our of lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board.

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So when something is well loved upon the initial taste test in my kitchen there is a saying that is pretty much inevitably uttered by either me or my sister. "Oh that's horrible. No one should eat that." Yep. We said that about these incredibly tender, flavorful muffins. I loved the pop of flavor and color from the fresh cranberries, and the wonderful flavor imparted by the orange juice and zest blends wonderfully with the berries. The glaze adds fantastic moisture and a touch of sweetness. These would be absolutely perfect for any breakfast, brunch, or afternoon snack with a cup of tea.

See all the fantastic muffins shared today!

• Blueberry Streusel Muffins from Palatable Pastime
• Cranberry Orange Muffins from Making Miracles
• Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Butter Muffins from Farm Fresh Feasts
• Quiche Lorraine Muffins from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Yiaourti Me Meli (Greek Yogurt and Honey) Muffins from Food Lust People Love

Cranberry Orange Muffins adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
zest of 2 oranges
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 TBS orange juice
2 TBS milk
1 1/2 cups  fresh cranberries

Orange Glaze
1 cup confectioners' sugar
3 TBS orange juice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray or line with cupcake liners. Set aside.
2. In a the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the butter with the granulated and brown sugar on high until creamed, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs, sour cream, vanilla extract, milk, and orange juice. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute, then turn up to high speed until the mixture is combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Lastly beat in the orange zest.
3. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and slowly mix with a whisk. Fold in the cranberries with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
4. Spoon batter into prepared muffin pan, filling each muffin cup all the way to the top. Bake for 5 minutes at 425 degrees, then lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 18-20 more minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Total time: 23-25 minutes.
5. Allow the muffins to cool for a few moments while you make the glaze by whisking the confectioners sugar and 3 TBS orange juice together. Drizzle evenly over warm muffins while still in the muffin tin (I pulled the muffins gently from the sides to allow glaze to soak down the sides as well as over the tops). Allow to briefly cool before removing from the muffin tin and serving.