cranberry hazelnut muffins

One of the most interesting online baking supply stores I like to check out every now and then is King Arthur's Baker's Catalogue. I tried ordering nut flours from them when I started making French macarons. Aside from almond nut flours, I also ordered bags of hazelnut and toasted hazelnut flours. I tried to make a batch of macarons with them but we prefer macarons made with almond flour more. Lately, in order to use up the hazelnut flours which I stored in the freezer, I tried to substitute it for some of the all purpose flour in our favorite muffin recipe. We like the extra dose of nutty flavor so I've been making muffins with them now. Dried cranberries provided the sweet and slightly tangy balance the muffins needed. I also added fiori di sicilia flavoring [a sweet smelling aromatic blend of vanilla and citrus] than just plain vanilla and it blended really well with the flavors of the hazelnuts and the cranberries. We like to eat them plain and they're great for breakfast and snacks. The nut flour is a healthy substitute which added extra fiber and flavor. The recipe, which follows, was adapted from Everyday Food magazine.

CRANBERRY HAZELNUT MUFFINS

In a big mixing bowl, combine and mix well the following dry ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour (or use 1/2 cup each whole wheat and all purpose flour)
1 cup hazelnut or toasted hazelnut flour

2 tsps. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional

In a medium bowl, whisk together the following ingredients:

2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 stick butter, melted
3/4 tsp. fiori di sicilia flavoring or vanilla
1/4 cup additional corn or vegetable oil

Pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir gently with a fork until just combined. Fill the greased muffin pan cups 3/4 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes in a 370 F preheated oven until done. Remove muffins from the pan and cool.

fresh from the oven muffins are great for breakfast and snacktime