Well… I mean… once you have half a bag of fresh cranberries sitting in your refrigerator, you really can’t ignore them. Technically, you can ignore them until they soften and just about turn themselves into something between wine and jam… but that takes months and is not listed among ideas that are good.
These particular fresh cranberries were left over from the Apple Cranberry Crumble Pie: a good idea that I will continue to support.
It’s the weekend which means it’s time for warm things straight from the oven, preferably covered in maple syrup.
This recipe is inspired by a recipe in my latest cookbook. I smash together a pancake and a muffin using browned butter, buttermilk, and a maple glaze.
Tart cranberries in every bite, and a dash of almond extract because it’s cheeky.
Flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt are combined in a good-size bowl.
Eggs, milk, vanilla, and almond are whisked together to bring together the wet ingredients. Butter is melted until browned and fragrant and added to the wet ingredients.
Simple, right?
Wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and a good stir. The batter will be relatively thick. Not to worry.
Halfway through stirring I toss in the whole and sliced fresh cranberries.
Blueberries would also be fantastic!
Scooped generously into well-greased muffin tins.
This recipe makes 9 tall or 12 small muffins. Does that make sense?
Fresh from the oven!
I used a toothpick to prick the warm muffins, creating small holes to absorb the lemon and maple reduction.
Warm maple reduction onto warm cranberry muffins. They’re tender and just right! I suggest enjoying these muffins the day they’re made… most probably standing at the kitchen counter and licking your sticky fingers clean.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted until browned and slightly cooled
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- heaping 1 cup whole and sliced fresh cranberries
- 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or line a muffin tin and set aside.
- For the muffins, in a bowl, whisk together milk, egg, yolk, and extracts. Whisk in the slightly cooled butter until well combined. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the wet ingredients all at once to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Just before the batter comes together, stir in the cranberries. Try not to over mix the batter or the muffins could be tough.
- Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.
- While the muffins bake, cook the syrup. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat stir together the maple syrup and lemon. Simmer gently until reduced and thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.
- Remove the muffins from the oven allow to rest for 5 minutes before removing from the pan. While still warm, use a toothpick to poke holes in the muffins.
- Drizzle the warm muffins with warm reduced maple syrup. Serve warm or room temperature. They're sticky and delicious!
Ella
How have I never seen the inside of a cranberry?! Crazy pretty!
http://www.youtube.com/sparklesandsuch26
Ellen
Yes and yes and yes. Once I got over my fear of browning butter (the easiest thing on earth next to burning butter, haha) I’ve been using it all over.
Leslie
Oh do tell. I like how the cranberries peek through the muffin mix. Yum.
jenna @ justjfaye.com
These sounds amazing!! I need to go buy cranberries.
Kim from GA
I’m so tired of “Pumpkin” everything this time of year. Bring on the cranberries! Thanks for a yummy looking recipe. I’ll be trying it soon.
LEE @ Modern Granola
Woah! These look amazing!! Brilliant idea.
Abbie @ Needs Salt
Ack, these pancake muffins look ridiculously delicious. I am all for maple drenched anything. Brilliance!
pastapieandpirouettes
Such a lovely recipe! I really like the idea of combining a pancake and a muffin into one treat. The cranberries are a nice seasonal addition.
PlumGaga
Brown butter makes everything better.
lizytishknits
These look wonderful! A nice change from cranberry bread – especially with the browned butter. I just love browned butter!
Kartik @ Bakeology 101
These look absolutely divine. Must start adding brown butter to everything. I mean life could also use brown butter.
maryea {happy healthy mama}
These look incredible. I might have to have leftover cranberries on purpose. ;-)
andreaolufemi
Those look amazing! I haven’t really baked with cranberries yet but this is on the list!
Drea xo
Drea’s Junkyard
Emily Brungard
I’m making these the second that I get back from school and don’t have to cook in a dorm kitchen.
Emily
Kristine @ Kristine's Kitchen
These look seriously perfect. You had me at cranberry… and brown butter… and pancake… and then on top of it all you went and added a maple glaze!