Sour Cream Apple Cranberry Muffins

A few years ago we started a tradition where Curtis and I visit my parents for a weekend in October every year to celebrate my birthday. Never mind my birthday was weeks and weeks ago, we like to drag the excuse to party out for as long as possible! Like every other trip to Silverdale this one was filled with delicious food and wine. I have lots of recipes to post from this past weekend, but wanted to start with these muffins (filled with hand picked Eastern Washington apples) my mom made on Saturday morning for breakfast. They were a delicious fall treat!

My dad always contributes to breakfast with his famous lattes. His secret? Cafe D'arte coffee and a whole lotta love!


Sour Cream Apple Cranberry Muffins
The Seattle Times

Makes 12 servings

Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup dried cranberries
2 eggs, beaten
4 tablespoons melted and cooled butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups low-fat sour cream
1 cup chopped Granny Smith apple

Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
4 tablespoons cold, firm butter, cut into pieces

1. To prepare the muffins: Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray (my mom used muffin liners) and set aside. Heat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Sift together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves and salt into a large bowl. Stir in the dried cranberries.

3. In a second bowl, whisk together the eggs, butter, vanilla and sour cream. Stir in the chopped apple. Stir the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients just until moistened. (The batter will be very thick and lumpy.) Spoon into the prepared pan.

4. The prepare the topping: With clean fingers, work together the brown sugar, flour and butter to make a crumbly mixture and sprinkle onto the tops of the muffins. Place muffin pan on a baking sheet and bake on the middle oven rack about 20 to 25 minutes, or until the muffins test done with a toothpick inserted the center.

4. Let the muffins cool in the pan 10 minutes before loosening the edges and unmolding onto a cooling rack.