Arkansas Online

Whole cranberry sauce enlivens muffins

ELLIE KRIEGER

Spiked with warmly fragrant orange zest and cinnamon and redolent of cranberries, these muffins are an edible reminder of the pleasures of the season. A full cup of cranberry sauce is stirred right into the batter, infusing them with cranberry flavor. Using sauce made from whole cranberries ensures plenty of those crimson bursts throughout as well.

True to form, this recipe is more healthful, too, without sacrificing any of the tender, cakelike goodness we want from a muffin. I use whole wheat pastry flour, which is light and mild-tasting (you could substitute a mix of all-purpose and regular whole wheat flours) along with almond flour for a boost of protein, healthful fat and subtle nutty flavor. (If you don’t have almond flour you can simply whir blanched almonds in the food processor until they are very finely ground.)

To sweeten the muffins, I employ one of my new favorite baking ingredients, date sugar, which is essentially finely ground dried dates. It looks and tastes similar to brown sugar — which you can use instead, with modifications noted in the recipe — but you get all the minerals and antioxidants inherent in the dried fruit, plus fiber. The muffins are also made with oil, rather than butter.

Whole Wheat Cranberry Sauce Muffins

1/3 cup grapeseed, safflower or another neutral oil, plus more for brushing pan

1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour OR ½ cup EACH all-purpose and regular whole-wheat flour

½ cup almond flour

¾ cup date sugar or light brown sugar (see note)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon fine sea or table

salt

¼ teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 cup prepared whole fruit cranberry sauce

½ teaspoon finely grated orange zest

¾ cup reduced-fat milk

½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 400 degrees. Brush the wells of a 12-cup muffin pan with oil.

In a large bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, almond flour, date sugar (if using brown sugar, add it with the liquids), baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda until combined. In another large bowl, whisk together the oil and eggs until combined, then whisk in the cranberry sauce and orange zest until combined.

Mix the dry ingredients into the wet in two batches, alternating with half the milk at a time, until just combined. Stir in the nuts, if using.

Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pan and bake for 18 to 21 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of one of the muffins comes out clean and they are golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack in the pan for 15 minutes, then run a knife or offset spatula around the muffins to loosen them and unmold. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Makes 12 muffins. Note: If using brown sugar, increase the flour to 1 ½ cups, reduce the milk to ½ cup and whisk the brown sugar in with the liquid ingredients.

Nutrition information: Each muffin contains approximately 221 calories, 4 g protein, 10 g fat, 31 g carbohydrate (17 g sugar), 32 mg cholesterol, 206 mg sodium and 2 g fiber.

Carbohydrate choices: 2

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2021-12-08T08:00:00.0000000Z

2021-12-08T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://edition.arkansasonline.com/article/283407720024131

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