Cranberry Muffins

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine (softened)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups cranberries fresh or frozen (roughly chopped)

Topping

• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Grease or line a 12 slot muffin tin.

In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.  Fold in sour cream.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt.  Add this flour mixture to the creamed mixture, stirring just until moistened.  Fold in cranberries.

In a small bowl combine topping ingredients.

Fill muffin tin slots 2/3 full and sprinkle with topping.

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean (although it will most likely be stained red).  Cool in tins for about 5 minutes before removing.  Makes a dozen muffins.

~ I had leftover cranberries from the cranberry upside down cake I made the other night and wanted to use them up, so I made these muffins.  I think they turned out pretty good.  Again, tart, yet semi sweet.  I think maybe an addition of orange zest (or maybe even orange juice) to the batter might take it up another notch, but all in all, good muffins. ~