Buttermilk Cranberry Muffins
Country Woman
I've been making these muffins and this cranberry butter for years, and I have never met anyone who didn't like them. I'll usually buy several bags of fresh cranberries when they're available and freeze them to use throughout the year. I've also discovered that powdered buttermilk works well. Besides baking, I like stir-fry recipes for my wok.
SERVINGS: 18
CATEGORY: Lower Fat
METHOD: Baked
TIME: Prep: 15 min. Bake: 25 min.
Ingredients:
- 1 heaped cup of cranberries, coarsely chopped
- 3/4 cup sugar, divided
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, optional
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 egg
- 1-1/2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
- CRANBERRY BUTTER:
- 1 cup cranberries
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Directions:
Chop the cranberries and combine with 1/4 cup sugar; set aside. Sift together flour, remaining sugar, baking powder, soda and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Lightly beat together egg, buttermilk and orange juice concentrate. Add the liquid and sweetened cranberries to dry ingredients, stirring only until well-combined. Spoon batter into buttered muffin pans, filling them two-thirds full. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes. To make cranberry butter, puree cranberries in food processor or blender. Add sugar, butter and lemon juice; process until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use. Yield: 18 muffins.