Cranberry Pecan Streusel Muffins

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How can you resist? Cinnamon-nut streusel tops an orange-scented muffin packed with cranberries and pecans—at every altitude, this is an unbeatable combination. To get the best rise in this recipe, use 1 cup cranberries and 1/2 cup nuts. Any more fruit weighs down the batter and reduces the rise, but the taste is still great—if you don't care about looks, you can add up to 1/2 cup more cranberries, or combine fresh cranberries with Craisins. I use wheat germ for its nutritional value and texture, but you can substitute oat or wheat bran. Oil gives a slightly moister crumb than melted butter. Epicurious | October 2007

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Ingredients

  • TOPPING:
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut up
  • 1/4 cup (1 ounce) pecans or walnuts, finely chopped
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  • MUFFINS:
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup cranberries, coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 cup (2 ounces) pecans or walnuts, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
  • 1 teaspoon orange extract
  • 1 large egg at room temperature
  • 1 cup plain or orange yogurt, top liquid poured off
  • 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted, or canola oil
  • 2 tablespoons wheat germ
  • 1 1/2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, if using
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preparation

Step 1

Pan Preparation: Coat the muffin cups with nonstick vegetable spray (then wipe the top of the pan with a paper towel) or coat with solid shortening.


Position rack in center of the oven. Preheat oven to 400°F and bake 20 to 22 minutes. Prepare the pan as directed.

In a medium bowl, toss together all streusel topping ingredients and pinch everything together with your fingertips to make crumbs. Set aside.

Measure the sugar. In another bowl, toss together the cranberries and nuts with the grated orange zest, extract, and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg(s), yogurt or milk, melted butter or oil, the remaining sugar, and the wheat germ. Place a sifter over the bowl and measure the flour, baking powder, baking soda (if using), salt, and cinnamon into it. Stir/sift the dry ingredients onto the wet, add the cranberry-nut mixture, and stir everything together just to blend; don't over-beat.

Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling them nearly full. Sprinkle generously with the streusel crumbs. (Half-fill any empty cups with water.) Bake 20 to 22 minutes (or for the time indicated for your altitude in the chart), or until the muffins are golden brown and well risen and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool slightly on a wire rack, and serve warm.
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REVIEWS:

These muffins are fantastic! Any recipe that calls for 3 bowls is troublesome. But these are worth it- -they're restaurant quality! Well worth the trouble making them. I am glad I read the reviews first-- it is important to read the directions (sometimes poorly written) before making! The recipe begins by telling you how to prepare the muffin pan. Then it seems to ask you to stick an empty greased muffin pan in the oven for 20 minutes, which would sure make for a smoking, burned muffin pan! I decided it must mean to pre-heat the oven for 20 minutes--why didn't they just say that? I made some changes, though: I used frozen cranberries, which I didn't defrost. I started cutting them up, decided that was too time-consuming, so most of what went in was whole. It meant for a more cranberry-tasting muffin. Also, I used buttermilk instead of yogurt--that worked great. I don't believe in going to the store to bake muffins, so when I discovered I didn't have any wheat bran, I used an equal amount of Malto-Meal cereal (because an old Betty Crocker cranberry-orange muffin recipe uses that) and that was just fine--you can't taste them.


Enjoyed these muffins! Great way to use up my left over from Xmas, pecans and cranberries. You can never have too much orange zest so used the zest from one whole L orange. Did not have orange extract but used Almond instead...gave it more of a berry flour! Substituted bran for wheat germ and used banana yogurt because that is what I had in my fridge. Even with substitutions this recipe worked out great! I like recipes where I don't have to get out my mixer!

I didn't have fresh cranberries but used 1 cup of Craisins. I boiled a cup of orange juice and soaked the Craisins while I mixed everything else up, then drained and chopped them. They turned out beautifully!

The oven temperature was way too hot, and they burned. I took them out after 17 mins, and the bottoms were so badly burned that they stuck to the muffin wrapper. I would keep the oven at 400 and take them out after 14-15 mins or reduce the temperature and keep an eye on them. Also, I needed to triple the streusel recipe. Wasn't a huge fan of it - too much flour. Would have added brown sugar. Finally, the batter was too dry, so I added milk until the consistency was better. I would try making these again because I think they would be excellent once I figure out the right baking temp.

The oven was too hot and they burned. I mean seriusly burnt! I would lower the heat. I never follow recipes and this is what happens when I do.


I own a very large Bed & Breakfast and make these muffins for my guests. They always ask for seconds! A few notes--I use canola oil instead of butter. I make the streusel crumbs in a mini-food processor. Muffins with a streusel top always take more time to make, but are worth it because people generally don't take the time to do it themselves. So these are good for company. I stir in the chopped cranberry mixture (I use fresh cranberries) to the flour mixture before adding the wet ingredients; it will prevent the cranberries from sinking to the bottom. I also only get a yield of 8 muffins for the above recipe. I add 1/4 t. cardamom in addition to the cinnamon. I think the orange zest and the orange extract are essential to prevent a boring muffin, as is the addition of the wheat germ. I serve these muffins with quiche lorraine and fruit, butter and marmalade.



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