Cranberry Eggnog Muffins

'Tis the season for eggnog, gingerbread and peppermint! I know it is not December yet, but I decided to start my holiday baking anyways. Target declared it holiday season months ago, so I don't see why I can't start baking with eggnog now. At least I waited for Thanksgiving to be over!

These muffins are packed with flavor. Between the tart cranberries, the sweet eggnog and even the crumbly streusel topping, I loved the combination of ingredients in these muffins. And of course they make the perfect breakfast treat for the holiday season with their seasonal flavors. 

On a related note, I love the subtle use of almond extract in these muffins. Even more than the flavor, I love the scent of almond extract. If Bath and Body Works had a body spray that smelled like these muffins, I would totally buy it. Trust me, these muffins will make your house smell wonderful this holiday season! However, a little almond extract goes a long way, so don't add too much to the muffin batter :) 

Cranberry Eggnog Muffins

Recipe from Annie Eats (originally adapted from RecipeGirl)

Muffins:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup + 2 tbsp sugar, divided

2 eggs

3/4 cup eggnog

5 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1/2 tsp almond extract

1 1/2 cups cranberries, chopped

Streusel Topping:

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

4 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 12-14 muffin cups with paper liners and set aside. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. 

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of sugar, eggs, eggnog, melted butter and almond extract. Mix until fully incorporated. Add in the dry ingredients and continue to mix until combined.

Combine the cranberries with the remaining sugar. With a spatula, gently fold in the chopped cranberries and mix until combined.

Divide batter between prepared muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full. 

Streusel Topping:

In a medium bowl, combined the sugar, flour, cinnamon and butter. Slowly combine the butter into the dry ingredients until a coarse, crumbly mixture forms. Distribute the streusel mixture evenly over the muffins. 

Bake muffins for about 18-22 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let muffins cool in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Enjoy :)