Four months

Cranberry muffins

I woke up in the mood to bake. Maybe because we got more than six inches of snow in the last 24 hours, and making (and eating) something warm feels so cozy. Maybe because it was time to do something with the bag of fresh cranberries languishing in our crisper drawer since November (not quite so fresh or crisp, but still usable).

My go-to recipe website had some great-looking recipes, but I ultimately chose this one to tweak because I thought the orange juice would counter the tart berries nicely, as well as providing some extra sweetness when I cut out the sugar. Using some of the comments, I substituted canola oil for shortening and added sour cream for moisture. I also made giant muffins, and increased the baking time by 10 minutes. The results exceeded all expectations!

No Sugar Added Cranberry Muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup Splenda
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons orange zest
1-1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
1/2 cup agave nectar
3/4 cup sour cream
2/3 cup orange juice concentrate + 1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs, beaten
1-1/2 cups chopped dried cranberries (or 2 cups fresh cranberries, chopped)
1-1/2 cups chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray or grease a 12 cup and 6 cup muffin tin.
2. Mix together dry ingredients.
3. Stir in wet ingredients, mix thoroughly, then stir in cranberries and nuts. Pour into muffin cups and bake for 25 minutes or until brown (increase baking time to 40 minutes for large muffins).

Makes 18 regular muffins or six large muffins.

Done

Never mind that I started this last July--it's finished!

What say you?

So... I took a chance with my new banner for 2012. I realize this is rather vivid--especially with the red around the letters--but I'm feeling like it's a bold new year. Let me know what you think.

And of course, a coordinating profile pic...