Cranberry Cream Cheese Cupcakes

I first made these cranberry cream cheese cupcakes last year when I was testing out cupcake flavors for Thanksgiving. Out of all the flavor combinations that I tried, cranberry + cream cheese was my favorite, although sweet potato + marshmallow was a close second. These cranberry cream cheese cupcakes were also one of my dad's favorite cupcakes from last year. This past weekend we celebrated my dad's birthday and I wanted to make his something special. I remembered that he loved these cupcakes and immediately got started on making them again. Instead of trying something new, sometimes it is best to go the safe route and make something that I already knew he would enjoy.

I love this combination because the sweet cream cheese frosting, which has a slight maple flavor, is the perfect complement to the tart cranberries in the cupcakes. You could leave out the maple syrup all together, but I love the extra sweetness that it provides. Happy birthday to my amazing dad- I love you!

Cranberry Cream Cheese Cupcakes

Recipe adapted from Krissy's Creations (cupcake originally adapted from Confessions of a Foodie Bride, frosting from Annie Eats, who adapted it from Confections of a Foodie Bride)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1/4 tsp almond extract

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 cups cake flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup whole milk

2 cups fresh cranberries, tossed in 1/2 tbsp flour

Frosting:

16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp pure maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two muffin pans with paper liners and set aside. 

In a stand mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese until light and creamy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the sugar and continue to beat until fully combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, followed by the almond extract and vanilla extract. Mix until fully incorporated after each addition.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, salt and baking powder. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk. Mix until just combined.

In a small bowl, toss cranberries with 1 tablespoon of flour. Turn off the mixer and add the cranberries to the bowl. Using a spatula, mix until fully incorporated into the batter. 

Fill each cupcake liner about 3/4 full. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely. 

Frosting:

In a stand mixer fitted the whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. 

Slowly add the powdered sugar to the bowl and continue to mix until incorporated. Finally add the vanilla and maple syrup and mix until frosting is smooth and reaches your desired consistency. Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes.

Pumpkin Spice Granola

I am still not ready for summer to end. But as much as I dislike the shorter days and colder weather, I am  definitely looking forward to some fall baking. Last fall I talked a lot about my love for baking with pumpkin, probably to the point that it got annoying. I haven't done any serious pumpkin baking yet this year because I am trying to hold on to summer for as long as I can. However, I have started seeing pumpkin recipes pop up all over the blog world. In order to get my pumpkin fix, I made a large batch of  pumpkin spice granola last week. 

This granola is incredibly easy to make and packed with warm fall flavor. I added chopped pecans and dried cranberries, but feel free to use any dried fruit or nuts of your choice. I have been enjoying this pumpkin spice granola mixed with vanilla greek yogurt for the past week- it really makes a tasty breakfast. I guess if summer has to end, I can get on board with enjoying this granola everyday for the next few months. And now that I have opened one can of pumpkin puree, let the the pumpkin baking begin!

Pumpkin Spice Granola
Recipe adapted from Annie's Eats (originally adapted from Baking Bites)

3 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups puffed rice cereal
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the rolled oats and puffed rice cereal. In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin pie spice, salt, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, applesauce, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients. Stir until evenly coated. Spread the oat mixture onto the prepared baking sheet in an even layer. Bake for 30 minutes. Using a large spatula, turn over the granola. Sprinkle the pecans on top of the oat mixture and bake for another 15 minutes or until crisp and golden. Allow the granola to cool completely on the pan or a wire rack. Break up the granola as desired and add the dried cranberries. Store in an airtight container. 

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 :)