Cranberry Cream Muffins

These are so quick to prepare and so easy to fix that I can’t believe I don’t make them more often! With muffins in the freezer, you’ll always have something to serve an unexpected guest! I have many, many muffin recipes … I promise to give you as many as I can over the next couple of months. Ron describes these as the best muffins he’s ever tasted.

Cranberry Cream Muffins:

½ c. butter or margarine, softened

1 c. granulated sugar

1 large egg

1-½ c. dairy sour cream

2 tbsp. milk

2-¾ c. all-purpose flour (Give this flour a purpose, Dollinks!)

½ tsp. salt

¾ tsp. baking soda

1-½ tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. orange zest (optional)

1 c. fresh or frozen whole cranberries, divided

Have all ingredients at room temperature. Preheat oven to 350 deg. F.  All done? Let’s get started!

Using an electric beater on high speed, cream butter together with sugar 3-to-5 min., adding sugar a little at a time. Scrape sides of bowl with spatula and continue beating until no graininess remains when you rub a little butter together between your fingers. Add egg, sour cream, and milk, continuing to beat on high speed. 
Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl. Beating at low speed, slowly add to creamed mixture, occasionally scraping sides of bowl. Stir in ½ c. cranberries. Spoon fruited batter evenly into 12 ungreased muffin pan liners, leaving some batter in mixing bowl. Press remaining cranberries into muffin compartments, paying special attention to batter that doesn’t have “enough.” Cover exposed cranberries with batter so berries don’t burn. Bake 30-to-35 min. Yields 1 dozen standard-sized muffins.

Mix as directed, and ...

Here come the cranberries!

Don't bruise the berries: Stir them in by hand

... And fill each muffin compartment equally

Add extra cranberries as required ...

... Cover them with batter

Fresh from the oven!

Gobble-gobble! Now you see 'em ...

Now you don't!