Spiced cranberry and orange muffins

I made these lovely muffins for Easy Parenting magazine. They are a nice thing to whip up if you have leftover cranberries (fresh or frozen) to use up, or use blueberries instead. These would make a fun, festive breakfast on Christmas Day or any day over the holidays. I made a batch and froze most of them, so I will be getting them out on Christmas Eve to warm in the oven on Christmas Day.

So, increasingly at this time of year I wonder if the true spirit of Christmas still exists. The increasingly commercial nature of Christmas really does concern me. Is it really all about shop till you drop? Buying endless things for people that have so much already? Buying for kids is one thing, but for other adults? There are so many people who have nothing, who are suffering – and me and my family are just so lucky, so blessed. We don’t buy for adults in my family anyway, but this year Adam and I won’t be buying each other presents – as we have everything we need or want. We decided to give two donations instead to the charities below – and if you are stressing about a last minute gift for a loved one then why not agree to do this instead?

White Helmets are doing utterly incredible work in Syria right now. They are literally dying for the cause. Saving people’s lives every day. Donate here.

Crisis help shelter people every night. People who have no one to go to at Christmas. Please consider giving to Crisis to help the people who have no home this Winter. Give here.

Makes: 12

Takes: about 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 120g butter, softened
• 75g caster sugar
• 2 eggs,
• 120g natural yoghurt
• 1 teaspoon orange extract (or zest of 1 orange)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon ginger
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 225g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• Pinch salt,
• 50ml orange juice – plush splash more if needed
• 100g cranberries, fresh or frozen

To serve: dusting of icing sugar

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 190C.
2. Line a muffin tin with cases.
3. Cream butter and sugar – with an electric whisk if you have one, or a food mixer. If not, just a wooden spoon will do.
4. Add eggs, yoghurt, and extracts. Mix.
5. Tip in flour, bicarb, baking powder, salt, spices, and mix again.
6. Add juice and mix once more.
7. Fold in cranberries.
8. Plop the cases full of mixture to top. Bake for 18 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
9. Leave to cool and dust with icing sugar.