Cranberry Harvest Muffins with Figs

by Cristina on 7 December 2010 · 25 comments

I happened upon yesterday’s episode of the Barefoot Contessa and Ina Garten completely caught my attention when she started measuring out the ingredients for a Cranberry Harvest Muffin. What struck me about the recipe she was demonstrating was the amount of cinnamon and ginger (I do like cinnamon and ginger!) added to the batter and that chopped, fresh cranberries were used with dried Calimyrna figs. Also, the online recipe includes using hazelnuts…what could be better? For timing purposes when I made these this morning, I used walnuts instead.

These muffins are not only beautiful with the fresh, bright red cranberries and chunks of figs peeping through the muffins with nuts, it tasted just as good as it looks, if not better! The tartness of the cranberries with the sweetness from the figs in combination of the cinnamon and ginger spices, made for seasonal muffin goodness.

Isn’t that what the best muffins are all about? Using seasonal fruits or vegetables with spices, nuts and touches of healthfulness…that’s the basis of the best muffins! I’ll be making these again before the year’s end and personally rate these as one of the best newer muffin recipes I’ve tried this year.

Teenie Notes

I don’t usually use paper liners for muffins, unless it’s going to be sticky and gooey. For these muffins the fresh cranberries and figs might make for the muffins sticking to the pans, so using liners is a good thing.
Substituted half of the flour with whole wheat flour.
Used 2% low-fat milk instead of whole milk.
I didn’t have toasted, skinned hazelnuts readily available so I substituted walnuts.
The original recipe indicates baking for 20-25 minutes. My baking time was 15-18 minutes and it was perfect.

Cranberry Harvest Muffins with Figs

source modified from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook/The Food Network

Makes 18 Muffins

Ingredients

Cranberry Harvest Muffins with Figs - Prep
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 1/4 cups 2% low-fat milk
2 large eggs
1 cup unsalted butter (1/2 pound -OR- 2 sticks), melted and cooled

1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup Calimyrna figs, diced
3/4 cups hazelnuts, coarsely chopped, toasted and skinned -OR- walnuts, coarsely chopped

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup granulated sugar

Cranberry Harvest Muffins with Figs - Prep

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Line muffin pan with 18 paper liners.

Sift the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the milk, eggs and cooled, melted butter. Stir to combine. Add the cranberries, figs, nuts and the sugars. Stir until fruits and nuts are evenly distributed throughout the batter – but do not over mix.

Using a large cookie scoop, evenly distribute the batter amongst the paper liners in the muffin pans. Bake for 15-18 minutes -OR- until the tops are browned and a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean.

Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer muffins to a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container.

Cranberry Harvest Muffins with Figs - Prep

Disclosure: The California Fig Advisory Board shared with me and the Teenie Cakes site, California Fresh and Dried Figs. I am under no obligation to write or share specific details about the shipment or their produce/product.

As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received a REAL Butter Holiday Baking kit. Some of those items included in the kit were used in these muffins.