I Heart Cooking Clubs

Bread Basket

2 cups cranberries, picked over and rinsed

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon double acting baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 cup milk

In a saucepan combine the cranberries, 1 cup of the sugar, and the nutmeg, cook the mixture over moderately high heat, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved, and boil it covered, for 3 minutes. Simmer the mixture, uncovered, stirring, for 3 minutes and let it cool.

Into a bowl sift together the flour, the baking powder, the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and the salt. In another bowl whisk together the egg, the butter, and the milk, add the mixture to the flour mixture, and stir the batter until it is just combined. Divide the cranberry mixture among 12 well-buttered 1/2-cup muffin tins, top it with the batter, and bake the muffins in the middle of a preheated 400 degree oven for 25 minutes, or until they are golden. Let the muffins cool in the tins for 2 minutes and invert them onto a rack. Makes 12 muffins.

My review. I don’t have much experience making jam so I think I dried out my jam too much prior to baking. I followed the directions but I should have stopped cooking sooner or used a lower heat. When the muffins came out of the oven I let them cool the required time and then could not get them out of the pan. I had to pull them out, which made the cranberries stick in the pan, and then I had to spoon it back onto the muffins. Eating the muffins you could tell the jam was over baked. I was really looking forward to this recipe but it was really disappointing. But alas all were eaten and those I shared were liked so maybe I am just being too picky.

Recipe available from Gourmet Magazine or Ruth’s website.