There is nothing...let me repeat...NOTHING that will put the aroma of Christmas into your home like this recipe...not candles or air-freshener or even mulled cider on the back burner...and there is nothing that will taste more like Christmas than these muffins...tart cranberries, toasted almonds, brown sugar and the hint or orange all wrapped up in a most fragrant and delicious muffin...on this, the 4th day of Christmas, I give you, not 4 calling birds but the best Christmas Muffin on Earth, if not the entire universe!
Whilst the muffins were baking, the mister and I did a little "home improvement project" together. First though, the mister had to run to the hardware store because we couldn't find a screwdriver...we must own 25 and now we own 26.
Last February I purchased fabric to recover the kitchen chairs...and the mister surprised me by actually completing this project a month earlier than projected...it's usually a year's wait but he managed to squeeze it in just under 11 months - a new record! Before we could finish though a second run to the hardware store was necessary...we ran out of staples for the staple gun. But now the chairs are done and they look great! Let me recap:
Fabric purchased in February 2008
Project started 9:00 December 28th
Project completed 11:55 December 28th
Two runs to the hardware store
Injuries: One, the mister slipped with the screwdriver and managed to pinch his pinky...however no blood was spilt.
Yes, I do believe it was another Christmas Miracle! We rewarded ourselved by happily sitting on our new chairs and eating these fabulous Muffins...
If you wanted to save yourself some time, you could make these muffins in steps. The day before make the streusel topping, cover and leave on countertop. You can also toast the almonds the day before and if you really wanted to save some time you could assemble the dry ingredients before. But really, they don't take that much time to make and I promise they'll be worth every bit of it!
This recipe is from the book, The Christmas Table by Diane Morgan. And it is a wonderful cookbook! I gave it to myself for Christmas...it has beautiful photographs and the recipes come with details about how and when to serve; as if that's not enough, the recipes themselves will have you dying to get into the kitchen!
Cranberry Muffins With Brown Sugar-Almond Streusel - Adapted From The Christmas Table by Diane Morgan
Streusel Topping:
1/3 cup finely chopped whole almonds
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Muffins:
2 cups plus 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, picked over and stems removed
1/2 cup whole almonds, toasted and finely chopped**
**To toast almonds: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread almonds over a cookie sheet and put in oven for 5 to 7 minutes or until almonds are fragrant and just beginning to turn lightly brown. Remove and let cool.
Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Generously grease the cups and top of a 12-cup standard muffin pan with vegetable-oil cooking spray or use muffin papers. To make the streusel topping, in a medium bowl, combine the almonds, flour, brown sugar, and salt. Stir in the butter. Use your fingers to pinch the streusel into small clumps. Set aside.
To make the muffins, in a large bowl, sift together 2 cups of the flour (you will use the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons on the cranberries), sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the orange zest and use your fingers to distribute the zest evenly in the flour mixture. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, almond extract, buttermilk, and butter. Using a rubber spatula, stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing only until no flour is visible. The batter will look lumpy. In a small bowl, toss the cranberries with the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons flour. Fold the cranberries and toasted almonds into the batter with 1 or 2 swift strokes.
Spoon a generous 1/4 cup of the batter into each muffin cup. Cover the top of each muffin with 1 generous tablespoon of the streusel topping, pressing it lightly onto the batter so it adheres. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let the muffins cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully release the muffins and serve immemediately, or transfer to the rack until ready to serve. Makes 12 glorious muffins!
"Christmas is forever, not for just one day, for loving, sharing, giving, are not to put away like bells and lights and tinsel, in some box upon a shelf. The good you do for others is good you do for yourself." ~Norman Wesley Brooks
