Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins

One of my favorite muffin recipes for fall is this one. I got this recipe a couple of years ago, off one of the baking company's website and I can't remember which one. It's super easy, super yummy and only calls for five ingredients!

1 package of spice or carrot cake mix

(I prefer spice. I used carrot here because it was on sale.)

1 can (15 o.z. of pumpkin)

3 egg whites

1/3 cup of water

2/3 cup raisins or craisins

I actually used fresh cranberries, but have used craisins in the past and they are just as good.

It's all about what you have on hand.

Combine cake mix, pumpkin, egg whites, and water until moistened.

(It says to beat on low speed for 30 sec. Scrape bowl. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. I just mixed mine by hand because I failed to read the directions.)

Fold in cranberries.

Bake for 18-22 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees.

(I could eat the batter all by itself. It's really, really good.)

Citrus, Cranberry, yogurt muffins

A couple of weeks ago I made this super yummy yogurt cake from Pioneer woman.  You have to make it, it was so yummy.  It was very moist because of the yogurt.  So I tried using yogurt in some of my recipes.  I was going to make banana muffins, but my bananas were a little too over ripened.  Here's the recipe I ended up with.  Please make these muffins, they are so yummy.

Ingredients:

1 Cup of plain yogurt

1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon orange zest

1/4 cup of vegetable oil

1 large egg

2 cups of flour

1/2 cup of sugar

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 cup of halved cranberries or craisins (I highly recommend the fresh cranberries)

Ingredients for the icing:

1/2 cup powered sugar

4 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.  Spray 12 cup muffin pan.

2. Mix yogurt, orange zest, and lemon juice.  

3. Beat yogurt mix, oil and egg with a wire whisk.

4. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. (I don't have a sifter, so I just mix those ingredients with a wire whisk.)

5. Mix the flour mixture into the yogurt mixture.  Just stir until the flour is moistened. 

6. Divide batter among muffin cups.  (I use a ice cream scoop for even muffins.)  Bake for 20-22 minutes.

7. While the muffins are cooling.  Add the lemon juice to the powdered sugar.  This makes a thin icing to drizzle over the top of the muffins.  So if yours turns out too thin, add more sugar.  And if it's too thick, add more lemon juice.  (This icing is very lemony. so if you don't like a lot of lemon, add two tablespoons of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of water or milk.)

8. While the muffins are still warm, drizzle icing over the top and serve warm or let them cool.

Now, I used orange zest from a cutie orange and I highly suggest using a fresh regular orange.  That was all I had on hand that day.  Make sure you mix the yogurt, orange zest and lemon juice together, before you add the oil and eggs.

This is what the yogurt mixture looks like after you add the oil and egg.

 

This is what the flour mixture looks like after being whisked with the wire whisk!

Mix the flour mixture into the yogurt mixture.

These cranberries were frozen and I took them out to thaw, while I was mixing the other ingredients.  I got a big bag of cranberries at Costco around Thanksgiving and put them in the freezer.  You can buy frozen cranberries at the store and let them thaw.

If you don't like big chunks you could cut these into fourths.

This is how you make the icing.

The finished product.