Spice and berries.

Ahh, Christmas is definitely around the corner, isn’t it? I can just feel it in the air. Holiday feels, am I right?

One spice I always associate with Christmas is cinnamon. Maybe because it’s the prominent scent I always smell in our kitchen when Mom does her holiday baking. When I get a whiff of cinnamon, it will always give me Christmas feels, no matter the date or season. What can I say, cinnamon is magical.

Today I’ll be sharing a recipe that’s an oldie (fiiiiine, it’s only about a year old) but a goodie. I’ve been saving this post for months because December is the perfect time for this holiday-apt baked good. These muffins are cinnamon heavy (but not too cloying) and balanced with the tartness of one of my favorite ingredients to bake with: dried cranberries. Dried cranberries are quite seasonal (especially here in the Philippines) and not to mention pricier than, say, raisins, so I always get excited whenever our relatives who live overseas send us a huge ass bag of dried cranberries. They’re so good to snack on but they’re fantastic when incorporated in dishes and baked goods. 

The cinnamon-cranberry combination just blows my mind. It’s like a warm holiday hug, you know? The cinnamon is very prominent then you get a bite of a tarte cranberry- delicious. I also like that the batter/muffin itself isn’t too overly sweet so these muffins are great with coffee or tea (or who am I kidding, on its own).  This is a pretty simple recipe that anybody can do at home anytime. Just whip up a batch of this and it’ll feel like Christmas again, guaranteed. Hohoho!

Enjoy!

CINNAMON CRANBERRY MUFFINS

(adapted from LaceandLilac.com)

YIELD: 12

2 cups all-purpose flour (sifted first then measured)

3 tsp baking powder

1¾ tsp cinnamon (amp up to 2 if you reeeaaaallyy love cinnamon)

¼ tsp salt (amp up to ½ tsp if using oil or unsalted butter)

¼ cup butter (I used salted)

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 cup milk

1 cup dried cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a muffin pan with liners.

2. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Mix until just combined.

3. Get 1 tbsp of flour mixture and pour over the dried cranberries (in a separate bowl). This will help the cranberries to stay afloat and not sink at the bottom of your muffins.

4. In another bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 

5. Add in egg and milk and beat until just combined.

6. Add in the flour mixture to the butter-egg bowl. Beat until just combined.

7. By hand, fold in the cranberries and any remaining flour to the batter.

8. Scoop batter into prepared muffin pan and bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

9. Let cool for about 5 minutes before digging in.