Last month I decided to try my hand at being a cookbook writer and applied to America's Test Kitchen. Among the tests I had to take to prove my salt, I was assigned to write a recipe and article. While I did not get the job, everyone at America's Test Kitchen was very pleasant and I will continue to be a fan of their magazine, books, and of course the television show.
For the test I was to develop a recipe and write a 1000 word article about Cranberry Nut Muffins. I found the experience both fun and rewarding, although the 6 dozen muffins I made filled up my counter tops. I found it a challenge and somewhat discouraging at times as three different recipes failed to work out. After the fourth I had finally found one I truly liked and decided to throw my own twist into it. While this endeavor did not work out as planned, I find myself still motivated to write and I hope another chance will soon come my way.
I would like to share with you both the article and recipe I created. I hope you will enjoy both! (Please keep in mind that this was written in the Cooks Illustrated, their magazine, style.)
Cranberry Muffins with Pecan Streusel
Nothing smells more inviting than a pan of cranberry nut muffins during the holiday season. Fresh cranberries add a sweet-tart taste to any baked good. Unfortunately they only seem to be in the grocery store for a short time, making these treats a once a year experience. We wanted a cranberry nut muffin that could be enjoyed in any season.
The Problem
Cranberries are in season from October to December, making fresh cranberries a wonderful seasonal treat, but trying to find them outside this short season can be daunting task. The obvious next choice would be to find frozen cranberries, but finding a grocer to carry them proved difficult. Dried cranberries are an option, but these tending to get tough in the baking process. We also found that dried cranberries lacked the full flavor of fresh cranberries.
The Goal
We wanted a moist, tender muffin that would not turn heavy in your stomach or dry out on the kitchen counter. The ideal texture was in between a light cake and a breakfast bread. We also wanted to find a way to have plump tangy cranberries without waiting for the holiday season to begin.
The Solution
The first task to tackle was baking a great muffin. Our first attempts yielded a muffin that was much too dry and dense. Next a recipe using applesauce was used. It resulted in a fairly moist muffin but the texture was still too dense and spongy. Finally we tried a basic quick bread recipe. This produced a tender, moist crumb with a light texture, but one that would hold up to the weight of the cranberries. It was a quick and easy recipe to prepare and in only a few steps a moist, fluffy batter was ready to be baked.
We decided to melt the butter as opposed to creaming the butter and sugar together. By using the creaming method, you create a very light and cakey muffin. While this can be pleasing to some, we wanted a muffin that had a little more density and substance to it. This also helped keep the cranberries suspended in the batter through out the baking process, as opposed to allowing them to sink to the bottom. The melted butter also aided in keeping the muffin moist.
Of course you may wish to have a light airy muffin. To achieve this simply cream the butter and sugar together. Add in the remaining wet ingredients and proceed with the remaining steps in the recipe. To keep the cranberries from sinking, toss them with a small amount of flour until they are coated. The flour allows them to stay suspended in the batter while it is baking.
One thing to remember when preparing this recipe, is not to over mix the batter. Over mixing causes gluten to develop, which in turn makes the muffins tough.
We combined the dry ingredients and then folded in the wet. The batter was only mixed until all the ingredients were dampened. This helped to prevent over mixing, resulting in a tender muffin. We also chose to use buttermilk instead of regular milk. This gave the muffins a delightful tang.
Two types of citrus were used in this recipe to really bring a brightness to the muffins. Using packaged orange juice worked wonderfully and the addition of grated fresh lemon zest really made the flavor pop. Of course dried lemon peel could be used, but the intensity would not be as strong. Next a small amount of cinnamon was added to compliment the sweetness of the muffin and the tartness of the cranberries. Since we wanted to have a very rich tasting muffin we experimented with various types of sweeteners. We found that using half dark brown sugar and half white sugar yielded a sweetness that had a pleasant balance of flavor and richness. The molasses hints in the brown sugar prevented the muffins from tasting to sugary while giving the crust a slight chewiness.
We wanted to test the use of dried cranberries, as it can be a daunting task to find fresh cranberries out of season. Most supermarkets do carry dried cranberries, in various flavors. We found that using the flavored cranberries gave the muffins an artificial taste.
When we tried just adding the dried cranberries to the batter, the cranberries became even drier and somewhat toughened by the heat of the oven. We also found that due to the reduced size of the dried berries, it seemed as though there were not enough cranberries in the mix. We then decided to try soaking the berries. A small amount of orange juice was added and they were warmed up in a microwave oven for one minute. If left to sit in the warmed juice for approximately ten more minutes, the cranberries became plump and moist. When added to the batter and baked, the end result was a much tastier and pleasing muffin.
Finally we wanted to address the issue of the nuts. While pecans were our favorite choice for this muffin, they seemed to fall flat in the taste category. We also tried walnuts and they had a similar result. We then decided to try a different approach. Instead of mixing the nuts into the batter, we added them to a topping. We used a simple streusel recipe with pecans mixed in to sprinkle on the batter. While the muffins were baking the nuts were being toasted, enhancing their flavor. But we still felt we could do better. When walnuts were added with a small amount of cinnamon and clove, the sweetness of the pecans and the slight bitterness of the walnuts complimented each other. The use of brown sugar in both the muffin batter and streusel tied everything together beautifully.
In the end we had a muffin with a tender, moist texture, chock full of berries and flavor. The slight crunch from the streusel and the toasty flavor of both types of nuts helped to create a cranberry nut muffin that was a little something special.
Muffin:
1/3 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
2/3 cup buttermilk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 egg
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup orange juice
1 ½ cup dried cranberries
Streusal:
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
1/4 cup walnuts chopped
1. Adjust the rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 375º. In a microwave safe dish, combine the dried cranberries and ½ cup orange juice. Heat on high for 1 minute and set aside to soak for approximately 10 minutes. Combine the egg, buttermilk, butter, orange juice and zest into a small bowl. In a second larger bowl, combine the dry ingredients. With a silicone spatula, gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry until moistened, then fold in the cranberries.
2. To make the streusel, combine the sugar, flour and spices until thoroughly mixed. Using a fork, cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles small pebbly pieces. Mix in the chopped nuts.
3. Grease a muffin pan using pan spray and divide the muffin batter equally among the cups. Moisten your hands with a small amount of water and lightly press down the batter into the pan. Top each muffin with streusel and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the muffins test for doneness. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then another 30 minutes on a wire rack.
