The Altitude Adjustment Section
I thought if I only had time for one recipe this week, it better be a great one! I made these cranberry orange crumble muffins for everyone here at the station today and it reminded me what a great all-around muffin recipe this is. You can change the dried fruit to fresh fruit, you can change orange zest for any citrus fruit and you can alternate the nut and spice choices so the possibilities are endless.
Ingredients for Topping
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 pinch salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter cut into small pieces
1/4 cup chopped nuts-pecans, walnuts or almonds
Procedure
Mix in a small bowl with your fingers and set aside.
Ingredients for Muffins
2/3 cups gran. Sugar
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped nuts
Zest of 1 orange
1 teaspoon orange extract
2 room temp. eggs
3/4 cup yogurt plus 2 tablespoons water
1/3 cup melted butter
3 tablespoons wheat germ
1 3/4 cup A.P. flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Procedure
Preheat oven to 375. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or non-stick spray. Measure sugar and set aside. In another small bowl combine cranberries, zest, and 1 tablespoon of the sugar, set aside. Take remaining sugar and combine with yogurt and water, melted butter, wheat germ, and eggs. In separate bowl sift flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir into the yogurt mixture and stir in cranberries. Just mix till combined, by hand, and don’t over-mix. Scoop into prepared muffin tin and top with crumble topping. Bake for 22-25 minutes till golden brown or till toothpick inserted comes out clean. Things to try — dried cherries, fresh raspberries, ginger, cardamom, mace, almond extract, maple extract, macadamia nuts — the list goes on and on. Diced banana anyone?
