The past 4 days have been dominated by music - Atlanta gangster rap, upbeat electro-indie pop, soulful acoustic folk, raw, infectious punk. Halifax Pop Explosion definitely delivered, in a big, big way.
Therefore Sunday, post-HPX, post-dancing shoes, post-late nights and early mornings, has been a lazy day, and what better way to celebrate a day of rest than to bake muffins? The secret to these wholesome, flavorful puppies is the rich tanginess of ricotta cheese, which gives them a moist texture and a bolder flavor, accentuating the tart orange and offsetting the sweetness of the cranberries. Topped with jam (I used partridgeberry, left over from my trip to Newfoundland), they are perfect with a cup of French press coffee and back issues of the Economist.
Cranberry orange ricotta muffins
From food.com
Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup large-flaked rolled oats
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup orange juice
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup honey
2 large eggs
1 cup light ricotta cheese
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tbsp orange rind
Prep time: 15 min
Bake time: 20 min
Special equipment: 12-cup muffin pan and muffin cup liners
1. Preheat oven to 375F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners
2. Heat orange juice in microwave until steaming and pour over cranberries. Let soak for 10 minutes until plump, then drain orange juice and reserve.
3. In a large bowl, mix together flours, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
4. In a separate bowl, blend together honey, oil, ricotta cheese, orange rind, orange juice and eggs. Mix into flour mixture until almost combined.
5. Add cranberries and mix batter until just combined; batter will be thick. Distribute among muffins pans evenly and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow muffins to cool completely on a rack and store at room temperature for 2-3 days in an airtight container, or freeze.
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