Use Those Leftovers: Cranberry Muffins

A couple of weeks ago I made homemade cranberry sauce for this post on easy holiday entertaining recipes. For some reason I had always been under the impression that cranberry sauce is a time intensive undertaking and that's why everyone buys their cranberry sauce in a can. Well, it's not. At all. It took me just a few minutes to whip up, I used it as a topping for the pecan brown sugar baked brie, and then I ended up with an entire cup of leftover cranberry sauce. Not one to waste food, I decided to see what I could make with this leftover cranberry sauce.

GETTING CREATIVE WITH BREAKFAST

The first option that seemed enticing was adding cranberry sauce to my oatmeal, and while I never actually got around to trying it, I can only imagine it's a delicious breakfast for the holidays.

Instead, I decided to explore my baked goods options. I had two friends coming over for a few morning cocktails before brunch on Saturday, so it seemed like the perfect idea to make some sort of treat to munch on with our bloody mary's. A quick google search later and I came across this recipe for Cranberry Sauce Muffins.




CRANBERRY SAUCE MUFFINS

2 cups flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup cranberry sauce
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease muffin tins (or use adorable holiday muffin tin liners!). Mix together flour, brown sugar, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in large bowl. In separate bowl, stir together cranberry sauce, milk, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla extract. Mix the wet mixture into the dry until it is moistened. Fill muffin tins 3/4 of the way full and bake for 20 minutes. Enjoy!

HOW'D THEY TURN OUT?

I'm not a baker and these were so delicious! So, you know, if I can make them, anyone can. They were perfectly moist, tart but not too tart, and perfect for having alongside your morning coffee (or mimosa) or to whip up for a group. I served them with this Brown Sugar Apple Butter from NeatNick Preserves in DC, which I recently received in a gift bag, and it was a great accompaniment to add a bit of sweetness to the muffins. I'd definitely recommend checking out their products on Etsy if you're looking for a gift that someone will actually use this holiday season.

WHAT ABOUT THOSE SERVING DISHES?

This serving platter, appetizer plates, and spreading knife came from Crate and Barrel several years ago. I reference their holiday entertaining pieces fairly often because they do such a great job of stylish yet festive dishware. Believe me, I love a collection of Spode, but it's just not my style, and I love that I've been able to pull together a holiday collection that goes with my own aesthetic.