Sweet Pea's Kitchen: Cranberry Orange Pecan Muffins with Streusel Topping

Every year for Thanksgiving, my mom makes cranberry orange pecan muffins.  They're good, but I felt like I could get some more flavor into them.  More orange-y sunshine for the cold winter months.  So I tinkered with the recipe below, and I got a muffin with some pretty fantastic flavor.  The orange-soaked cranberries in these really pack a punch.  And the streusel topping is just a great crunchy foil for the super tender muffins.  Definitely give this one a try.

Note:  If you want to use fresh cranberries, you can substitute 1½ cups fresh, but just know that the orange flavor won't be as pronounced.  The orange juice I call for below is just an individual serving size bottle.  If you don't want to buy a small bottle just for this recipe, you can use a little over a cup of orange juice to soak the cranberries.

Cranberry Orange Pecan Muffins with Streusel Topping
Adapted from Sweet Pea's Kitchen blog

1⅛ cups dried cranberries, coarsely chopped

1 (11.5-ounce) bottle orange juice, divided use

1 cup pecan halves

2 cups plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided use

1 cup plus 4 teaspoons granulated sugar, divided use

1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons softened and remaining 6 tablespoons melted

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

⅔ cup buttermilk

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

Put the dried cranberries into a small bowl.  Open the orange juice bottle and set aside ⅓ cup for the muffin batter.  Heat the remaining orange juice until steaming, pour over the dried cranberries, and cover with plastic wrap.  Let sit for the dried cranberries to reconstitute, approximately 30 minutes, or until cranberries are soft.  Drain the cranberries, discarding the soaking liquid.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Spread pecan halves out on a sheet tray and toast in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes until fragrant.  Once cooled, chop and set aside.

To make the streusel, in a small bowl, combine the 2 tablespoons of softened butter with the 3 tablespoons flour, 4 teaspoons granulated sugar, and 1 tablespoon brown sugar.  Cut butter into dry ingredients until it resembles coarse sand.  Mix in half of the chopped pecans, reserving the other half for the muffin batter.  Set aside.

Prepare 2 muffin trays with liners for 18 muffins.

In another small bowl, combine the reserved ⅓ cup orange juice, orange zest, buttermilk, egg, vanilla extract, and the remaining 6 tablespoons melted butter.

In a large bowl, combine the remaining 2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.  Mix well to distribute the ingredients.  Pour in the wet ingredients and mix just until combined.  Add the cranberries and the remaining chopped pecans.  Mix to combine.

Distribute the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups.  Evenly sprinkle the prepared streusel topping over the muffins, gently pressing into the batter to help it adhere.  Bake until muffin tops are golden and just firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, approximately 18 to 22 minutes.  Cool muffins in tins on a wire rack for 5 minutes before removing and serving.

Makes 18 muffins