Thanksgiving Recipe: Whole Wheat Cranberry Apple Muffins w/ Lemon-Ginger Glaze
Did you know one of the criteria widely believed to determine the quality of a cranberry is whether or not one can bounce the berry down a staircase. If the fruit bounces well it is a quality product; if it falls flat it is not a good berry.
Well maybe that is why I love the cranberry so much. We have a lot in common – the durable cranberry & I. When I feel like my life is throwing me down the stairs, I am always determined to bounce right back up. Quality Product? – You betchya!
I also love November, because all my local groceries are carrying FRESH cranberries. But I am so surprised that so many people I know hardly get as excited as I do. I truly stock up on them, stacking those precious little berries in my freezer to have on hand to make those yummy cranberry recipes I have copiously filed away, all year round!
With Thanksgiving around the corner, I thought it would be a great time for me to pull out one of my favorite cranberry muffin recipes that I use to make in my café this time of year. For whole wheat muffins, these are surprisingly moist and delicious.
Whole Wheat Cranberry Apple Muffins
w/ Lemon-Ginger Glaze
For Cake:
2 ¾ cups whole wheat flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
1 ¼ cups low-fat milk
2 extra-large eggs
½ lb. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 ½ cups coarsely chopped fresh cranberries
2 cups finely chopped apples
¾ cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
¾ cup packed brown sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar
For Glaze:
1 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar
1-2 tbsp. lemon juice
¼ tsp. ground ginger
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add the milk, eggs, and butter. Stir quickly just to combine. Add cranberries, apples, walnuts, and both sugars and stir just until all is combined.
Heavily grease a 12 cup muffin pan. Spoon cake batter to the top of each cup. Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
While muffins are cooling make glaze. Using a whisk, mix all ingredients together. Dip tops of muffins into glaze and place on a wire rack with parchment paper underneath to catch all drips.
