Cranberry, Oat & Yoghurt Muffins

It’s that one time in the year when the UK’s lovely friends and allies over there in the US and Canada share with us your precious treasure of fresh cranberries. Thank you!

The rest of the year, we have to make do with jars of Ocean Spray Sauce. Not that I am complaining about that, though – they are a reliable addition to the winter dinner table. We also have dried cranberries, of the sort I used to make Cranberry & Pistachio Cookies, for example. However, none of these ever tastes quite the same as the fresh article.

So how excited was I this week, when I saw packs of fresh cranberries imported from America, sitting there in Sainsbury’s fruit and veg section, nestling up alongside the blueberries. I quickly threw a couple of packs in the trolley and began making plans.

Here I am sharing with you my fresh cranberry, oat and yoghurt muffins – just follow the recipe below. I like these because they bring out the natural sourness in the berries, which we can’t usually taste as the processed varieties have been sweetened before they reach us. That sourness is enhanced by the bitterness of the yoghurt, while there is also a chewy, nutty bite in the rolled oats.

The light brown sugar provides a complementary sweetness in the cake mixture, making for an overall, pleasing blend of flavours on the tongue. What’s more, as the fresh cranberries burst with the baking, they infuse the muffin with juice that will keep the cake moist. Irresistible!

See my main photo above for the muffins, including one I cut in half to show the richness of the filling. A highly satisfying, healthy muffin to be enjoyed at breakfast, as a snack or a dessert.

So, to all our North American friends – as you can see, we are taking care of your special gift to us, and turning them into healthy, tasty treats. Please keep these little fellas coming!

Servings

This will make 12 muffins.

Timings

10 mins to prepare, 20 mins to bake at 180C.

You Will Need

• 200g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• half tsp salt
• 85g rolled oats
• 140g natural yoghurt
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 egg
• 120g light brown sugar
• 140g fresh cranberries
• 90ml milk
• 90ml veg oil

Method

1. Switch on the oven to 180C. Prepare a muffin tray or mould.
2. Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl.
3. Pulse the cranberries in a food processor with blade fitted, for a few seconds, 2 or 3 times. Light chopping will help them fully bake and soften in the muffins. Tip into the bowl of flour and stir so the fruit is coated.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the oats with the yoghurt and bicarb. Leave for a couple of minutes, then stir in the egg and the sugar. Finally, stir in the milk and veg oil.
5. When the oven is up to temp, combine the wet ingredients with the dry, and stir until no dry ingredients are visible. Spoon in to the muffin tray/mould, and place in the oven for 20 mins.
6. When they are looking browned, as in my main photo above, remove to a wire rack to cool. Enjoy!

Customise It!

If I was making one change to this, I would swap in broken pieces of white chocolate for some of the cranberries, at a ratio of up to half and half. That also helps bring out the sweet and sour contrast.

There really can be only one band to accompany this post, so I’m adding this track to the ADK Playlist. Limerick’s own The Cranberries with Dreams.