Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins

Ingredients

• Pumpkin puree: use canned or fresh pumpkin puree; both work well.
• Dried cranberries.
• Sugars: light brown sugar and white sugar are combined for a sweet caramel flavor.
• Spices: I use a combination of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice. Sometimes I add the smallest pinch of cloves. Or use your favorite homemade or store-bought pumpkin spice mix. As long as you like it, it's fine.
• Orange: it goes very well with the rest of the flavors.
• Vanilla: I use pure vanilla extract or pure vanilla paste when available, but a good vanilla essence (artificially flavored) also works and is infinitely cheaper.
• Oil: I use sunflower because it doesn't add extra flavor, and I want the pumpkin to shine. But you can use any type, even a light olive oil.
• Eggs: large, fresh.
• All-purpose flour.
• Baking powder and baking soda: are used as leaveners to help the muffins rise, so make sure they aren't expired.
• Salt: I like to use kosher salt when baking. But regular table salt works just fine.

How to make pumpkin cranberry muffins

These moist muffins are very simple to make. No fancy equipment is needed, just a bowl and a whisk.

• Oil: it's used instead of butter, so there's no creaming step.
• Mixing: I use an electric mixer for easiness, but you can use a whisk.
• Sifting: it adds some air to the batter. And this recipe has baking soda, which can clump during storage and be hard to dissolve once during baking. So sifting it is highly recommended.

The oil and sugar are mixed first before adding the eggs. The mixture needs to be lightly beaten, but not much.

Pumpkin puree, vanilla, and orange zest are mixed in next. Make sure it's well incorporated and smooth.

Flour mixture: dry ingredients, including spices, are sifted before adding them to the pumpkin batter.

The dried cranberries are added last and folded into the batter.

Final batter: it's thick, unctuous, and shiny.

Vintage Kitchen tip: don't overmix after adding the flour. We don't want the gluten to start developing as it will render tougher muffins.

Preparing the muffin pan

• Paper liners: also called paper cups or muffin liners. This is the easiest way, but the muffin tops are the only part that will be crusty.
• Butter or baking spray: this is messier, and you have to wash the pan afterward, but the crust forms all around the muffins because the whole surface touches the metal.

Divide as evenly as possible so the muffins bake better. I use a cookie scoop.

Bake according to instructions in the recipe card. They will rise and crack lightly and that is fine.

Kitchen notes

• Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier!
• Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer(like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust. 
• Pans: I use regular-sized muffin pans, but you can use mini muffin pans (they will yield a larger quantity, and they will need less baking time) or jumbo muffins (you will have fewer muffins, and they will take longer to bake).
• Filling the muffin pans: make sure you don't pass ¾ of the capacity. It's the easiest way to avoid overflow when baking them.
• Freezing: wrap in plastic and keep frozen for up to a month. I defrost them directly in a medium oven, but you can let them come to room temperature first.
• Double batch: this recipe can easily be doubled if making them for a large crowd or if you want to make ahead and freeze.
• Variation: cranberries go well with chopped pecans. Add ¼ cup to the batter at the end.

Variations

• Sweet potatoes: you can easily substitute sweet potato puree for the pumpkin. Same amount. As for spices, they also go well with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice.
• Oil: any vegetable oil can be used, in theory, the same volume. Coconut oil will make them a tad healthier and less moist, IMHO. But still great. Don't refrain from making them if you want to use coconut oil.
• Sweeteners: you can use only white sugar, making them a little sweeter and less moist. A tablespoon or two of maple syrup can be added for a different flavor; reduce the same amount of sugar.
• Flours: you can substitute some white flour for almond flour or coconut. Make sure they are finely ground. It will change the texture slightly, making the muffins more rustic and probably not as fluffy.

Glaze

A powdered sugar glaze adds a layer of sweetness and makes for gorgeous-looking muffins.

You get a more festive look if you sprinkle the glaze with chopped cranberries.

How to make the glaze: mix a cup of powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of orange juice. If it's too thick, add more juice, ¼ teaspoon at a time, until it's like thick honey. Drizzle the cool muffins and let them dry before serving.