Cranberry Orange Blossom Muffin is made from fresh cranberries, orange blossom, spices and oats, making for a delicious quick jumbo muffin.
Welcome To Muffin Madness
In my family, I have always been known as the muffin queen, simply because over the years I have created about 25 different muffin recipes, and still creating!
As a single mom of 4, during those insanely disjointed, hectic years of age 6 to 16, with school, hobbies, work and hormones, I needed a friend!
Muffins became my antidote to madness. My friend. How? I needed a quick, healthy and affordable breakfast, a to-go snack and I needed the kids to be able to help make them.
Where Would The Holidays Be Without Cranberries!
It’s funny how certain foods make us think of certain times of the year. Cranberries arrive on the seasonal scene at the end of September and appear in so many of our culinary celebrations until New Year.
These hard shelled berries (in comparison to all other berries), loaded with antioxidants are produced in the north eastern regions of America are harvested in the fall, mid-September to be exact.
It’s no wonder they are featured in anything from cocktails and desserts, to sauces for our Thanksgiving turkey. But not quite as whimsical as my Chocolate Reindeer Antler Cheese Cake with Cranberry Compote!
I once read that cranberries are so bright in color that they are visible from space during the harvest season. How amazing is that!
Cranberry and Orange
We all know that cranberries and oranges are a marriage made in the kitchen. The sweet zest of an orange, along with sweet fresh orange juice is nothing short of delicious.
Let’s take that cranberry and orange marriage on a honeymoon and add a little orange blossom water! Oh my, you won’t believe how beautiful the flavor and scent will become when the two are baking or simmering. And yes, there are other cranberry recipes with these exotic flavors:
- Mediterranean Cranberry Orange Blossom Pie – with a scrumptious gluten-free almond and coconut crust.
- Cranberry and Almond Yeast Bread – weekend leisurely breakfast never tasted so good.
What Is A Muffin?
Muffins are nothing more than a quick bread. A batter mixed with baking powder and/or baking soda to act as the rising agent. This type of batter can be mixed and baked quickly.
Yeast breads require rising time, usually an hour or more, before they can be baked. Not quick but also scrumptious.
Orange Blossom Instead Of Vanilla
Having grown up with a Syrian mom, Orange Blossom is what she used to add a beautiful floral essence to baked goods and pastries.
Orange blossom is widely used in Middle Eastern cooking. The petals from the orange blossoms are distilled, creating a fragrant orange blossom water for cooking, just as the same is done with rose petals.
When I am baking with fruits, I often use orange blossom to flavor it, as it compliments the more delicate flavors of the fruit.
When my baking doesn’t have fruit in it, I then opt to use vanilla extract, simply because the flavor is warmer and compliments in a different way.
Cranberry Orange Blossom Muffin
Obviously we all know that cranberries are in most grocery stores during the months of October through January, but I want them the rest of the year too.
Let me tell you what I do to have the freshest cranberries possible in summer. I simply buy up bags of fresh cranberries, grind them and store them in the freezer in individual bags, ready to use.
Cranberries and Orange Blossom water is an absolutely perfect flavor combination, so why not keep a bottle in your pantry for so many baking uses.
Ingredients Needed
- Fresh Cranberries
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Sunflower oil
- Orange blossom water
- Milk
- Oat flour
- All purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Confection sugar (optional for glaze)
- Butter (optional for glaze)
- Pistachios (optional for top)
Equipment Needed
- Muffin tin or loaf pan
- Non-stick spray
- Food processor
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Baking paper cups
- Spoon
- Spatula
- Oven
Cranberry Orange Blossom Muffin
Ingredients
- Fresh Cranberries – 1 1/2 cups, ground
- Eggs – 3
- Sugar – 1/2 cup
- Sunflower Oil – 1/3 cup
- Orange blossom water – 1/2 teaspoon
- Milk – 1/2 cup
- Oat flour – 1 1/2 cups
- All purpose flour – 1 1/2 cup
- Baking powder – 2 teaspoons
- Baking soda – 1/2 teaspoon
- Salt – 1/2 teaspoon
- Confection sugar – 1/2 cup (optional for glaze)
- Butter – 1 tbsp, melted (optional for glaze)
- Pistachios – 3 tbsp, crushed (optional for top)
- Dried cranberries – 3 tbsp, (optional for top)
Instructions
- Preheat oven 350
- In a food processor, pulse the cranberries, eggs, oil, sugar and orange blossom. Pulse a few times to incorporate.
- Add the both flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Pulse a few times to mix.
- Add the milk and pulse again to blend.
- In paper lined muffin tins or an oiled loaf pan, divide the batter, filling 3/4 way up.
- Bake for about 25 minutes or until the top is firm to the touch.
- If a glaze and toppings are desired, whisk the milted butter with confection sugar, drizzle across the cooled quick bread. Sprinkle pistachios and dried cranberries across the top.
Nutrition
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.