Cranberry -Orange Muffins

By june

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 1/3 cups granulated sugar, divided
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tbsp orange zest
• 2 1/2 cups plus 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup plain yellow cornmeal
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp table salt
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
• Vegetable cooking spray
• 4 1/2 tsp fresh orange juice
• 4 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• Turbinado sugar (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add 2 cups granulated sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Beat in zest.
Stir together 2 1/2 cups flour and next 3 ingredients; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Toss cranberries with 1 tbsp flour. Fold cranberries into batter. Divide batter evenly between 2 (12-cup) muffin pans coated with cooking spray.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Meanwhile, bring orange juice, lemon juice, and remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Boil until sugar is completely dissolved and syrup has thickened slightly (about 1 minute).
Pierce top of each muffin several times with a wooden pick, and brush warm syrup mixture over muffins. Sprinkle tops of muffins with turbinado sugar, if desired. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes.