These muffins got rave reviews last holiday season. They are moist and delicious with a hint of eggnog, and a fantastic crumble topping! They are perfect for a lazy morning! Or even Christmas morning! I changed the original recipe a little this year. I wanted to try orange zest and this version uses Triple Sec instead of Rum. I can hear some of you already, “But WHY is the rum gone?” Haha! It’s gone, because any recipe that starts with these things, can’t be bad!
Don’t worry! I will give you both recipes and you can choose your favorite. :-) We will start with this years recipe!
Mixed and ready to bake!
Topped with cinnamon sugar mix, fresh from the oven!
Cranberry Orange Eggnog Muffins
FOR THE MUFFINS:
1 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped
1/2 cup Triple Sec
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups eggnog
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 TBLS pure vanilla extract
1 TBLS Orange Zest
FOR THE TOPPING:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mist a 12 cup muffin pan with cooking spray. Warm the cranberries, and triple sec in a small saucepan over medium heat, then remove from the heat and let steep 5 minutes. Drain. Whisk the flour, baking powder, brown sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk the butter, eggnog, eggs, vanilla and orange zest in another bowl Gently fold the liquid mixture into the flour mixture. The batter will be lumpy, be careful not to over mix. Fold in the drained cranberries very gently. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Make the topping: Mix the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, butter, salt and brown sugar in a bowl until it looks like wet sand. Sprinkle generously over the batter.
Bake until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick in the center comes out clean, about 20-30 minutes. Cool slightly in the pan, then carefully remove to a rack.
THE RUM VERSION!
Use 1/2 cup Rum, instead of the Triple-Sec
Omit the Orange Zest
Follow the above directions!
THE KIDS VERSION!
Use 1/2 cup Orange Juice (with the zest) or use Apple Juice instead of the liquor
MY NOTES:
Last year I doubled the cranberries and rum because I like cranberries! The rum flavor is a bit strong though, but I like that too! Mine were done baking at nearly 20 minutes, so check carefully. The topping tends to spread all over the pan so line the bottom of your oven with foil.
- 1 cup dried cranberries roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup Triple Sec
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter melted
- 1 1/2 cups eggnog
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 TBLS pure vanilla extract
- 1 TBLS Orange Zest
- FOR THE TOPPING:
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 stick unsalted butter melted
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- cup Use 1/2Rum instead of the Triple-Sec
- Omit the Orange Zest
- cup Use 1/2Orange Juice or use Apple Juice instead of the liquor with the zest
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mist a 12 cup muffin pan with cooking spray. Warm the cranberries, and triple sec in a small saucepan over medium heat, then remove from the heat and let steep 5 minutes. Drain. Whisk the flour, baking powder, brown sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk the butter, eggnog, eggs, vanilla and orange zest in another bowl Gently fold the liquid mixture into the flour mixture. The batter will be lumpy, be careful not to over mix. Fold in the drained cranberries very gently. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Make the topping: Mix the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, butter, salt and brown sugar in a bowl until it looks like wet sand. Sprinkle generously over the batter.
- Bake until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick in the center comes out clean, about 20-30 minutes. Cool slightly in the pan, then carefully remove to a rack.
Last year I doubled the cranberries and rum because I like cranberries! The rum flavor is a bit strong though, but I like that too! Mine were done baking at nearly 20 minutes, so check carefully. The topping tends to spread all over the pan so line the bottom of your oven with foil.
