Cranberry-Orange Muffins

I’m making these this week to get rid of my extra cranberries, but we often have them on Christmas morning – after we’ve torn through all the presents, naturally (although, actually, the process has reversed in recent years after we’ve all become supposedly mature adults: we eat breakfast, have some coffee, and then get around to opening the presents).  The recipe’s from the Woodford County (IL) Extension, circa 1985, and has been in asheaf of stapled yellow paper for as long as I can remember.

The recipe calls for chopped cranberries, but by no means should you chop them yourselves.  Use a food processor if you’ve got one (which I don’t) or a blender (which I do.)

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp soda
2 tsp grated orange peel
1 1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 cup shortening (I used margarine or oil)
3/4 cup orange juice
1 T vanilla
1 1/2 cup fresh cranberries, chopped

In a large bowl, cream together sugar, eggs and shortening. In a second bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, soda, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger. Alternately add flour mixture and juice to sugar mixture. Add vanilla. Fold in cranberries. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 400o until golden brown, 25-30 minutes.