Cranberry Seed Muffins

These muffins were some of the best cranberry muffins I have had in a while. they are sweet, use wholewheat flour and wheat bran without being heavy or tasting "healthy", they use the tenderizing powers of buttermilk, they have citrus zest to complement the tart whole cranberries...they puff up perfectly in the oven especially of you fill the pans to the top (OK, so I ran out of paper cupcake liners, I made taller muffins not more, what's your excuse?), they are studded with lightly salty sunflower and pumpkin seeds...making them seasonal, and sweet.
These are probably my consummate muffin as it conforms to my rules of muffin-hood
1. Made with healthy ingredients but doesn't taste healthy.
2 Butter and buttermilk. Need i say more?
3. They dome up into almost bakery looking muffin proportions
4. They are aesthetically pleasing because they are topped of with seeds and bran flakes....over top of the bursting cranberry stains the batter
5. they are light and fluffy. Fluffy is always a good thing.
6. They are sweet enough to make you feel like you've had a treat but are wholesome enough to be eaten for breakfast.

If a muffin does not conform to these rules it is hereby exiled to the land of cupcakedom- not a bad fate considering, but then you can't justify eating them for breakfast....and that is saddening.


Cranberry Seed Muffins
Time: approx 1 hour
Makes: 12-16 muffins

Ingredients

• 1-3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 1/2cup oat or wheat bran
• 1-1/2 1-1/2tsp baking powder
• 1/2 1/2tsp baking soda
• 1/2 1/2tsp salt
• 1/3 1/3cup unsalted sunflower seeds
• 1/3 1/3cup hulled pumpkin seeds
• 3/4 3/4cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 1/4cup packed brown sugar
• 2 2tsp finely grated orange rind
• 2 eggs
• 1-1/3 1-1/3cups buttermilk
• 1/2 1/2cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 2cups cups (500 mL) thawed cranberries
  

1-3/4cups(425 mL) 3/4

Topping:
3 3tbsp tbsp (45 mL) each oat bran, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds

1. In large bowl, whisk together all-purpose and whole wheat flours, oat bran, baking powder, baking soda and salt ; whisk in sunflower and pumpkin seeds.
2. In separate bowl, whisk granulated sugar, brown sugar and orange rind; whisk in eggs and buttermilk. Whisk in butter until combined; stir in flour mixture in 2 additions just until combined. Stir in cranberries. Spoon in to 12 greased muffin cups.
   

Topping:
Sprinkle with oat bran, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. Bake in 375°F oven until cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cool in pan on rack.

Adapted from: Canadian Living Magazine September 2010