These soft and fluffy muffins tops are tart and sweet and require no special equipment. Chilling is a must to ensure the proper ‘puffing’ of the dough.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 45 min |
| Prep: | 20 min |
| Inactive: | 1 hr 5 min |
| Cook: | 20 min |
| Yield: | 12 muffin tops |
Ingredients
- Pan spray, for greasing
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon orange or lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup roughly chopped fresh cranberries, or thawed frozen
- 1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 1/2 tablespoons
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange or lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and adjust 2 oven racks to the top and bottom halves of the oven. Line 2 baking sheets with greased parchment paper.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda together in a medium bowl.
- Whisk the buttermilk, orange zest, vanilla and egg together in a separate bowl. Toss the cranberries with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the sugar.
- Beat the butter and remaining 1/2 cup sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes (or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer), scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Adjust the speed to low and add the dry and wet mixtures in alternating batches until just combined. Add the cranberries and fold in using a spatula.
- Spray a 1/4 measuring cup lightly with pan spray. Scoop a level 1/4 cup of batter and scrape out with a rubber spatula onto the baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining batter, spacing the muffin tops about 2 inches apart. Pat the dough into rounded mounds using wet or greased hands. Chill 30 minutes.
- Bake until the muffin tops are slightly golden and can be easily lifted from the baking sheets with a spatula, 18 to 20 minutes. Be sure to keep an eye on these and rotate the baking sheets top to bottom about every 5 minutes or as needed to ensure even baking.
- Let cool in the pan 3 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack until cool to the touch. Stir together the confectioners’ sugar and orange juice and drizzle over the muffin tops.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 12 servings |
| Calories | 186 |
| Total Fat | 7 g |
| Saturated Fat | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 29 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 16 g |
| Protein | 2 g |
| Cholesterol | 31 mg |
| Sodium | 141 mg |
Reviews
I was too lazy to put the icing on but even so, these are delicious! Like a fluffy scone. Definitely a keeper.