A Sweet and Tart Treat to Start the Week

Believe it or not, Monday is here once again. 

Mondays are tough, the weekend is over it's back to work and back to school (well here in Israel the week really starts on Sunday so we sort of have two days of the “Monday blues”). However, there’s something to look forward to on what feels like the longest day of the week, Muffin Monday! Muffins are quick and simple to prepare and they’re a perfect treat to cheer you up at the end of a long day. 

This flavor combination of white chocolate and dried cranberries is based on a cookie that I remember my mother buying from Trader Joe’s (please open in Israel) it was a crispy oatmeal cookie packed with dried cranberries and drizzled with white chocolate. I really liked the sweet and tart flavors playing off of each other. I added orange zest because it just boosts both the sweet and tart flavors and adds some brightness to the muffins. 

You can use this muffin batter as a plain base for any mix-ins. Just leave out the white chocolate, cranberries and orange zest and fold in whatever you'd like! 

Cranberry White Chocolate Muffins with Orange Glaze

2 cups flour - you can use a combination of white, whole, or spelt  

1 Tbs baking powder

3/4 tsp salt 

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 cup milk of your choice 

1 Tbs vanilla extract
1/4 cup oil 

1 tsp orange zest 

1/2 cup dried cranberries 

1/2 cup white chocolate chips 

Glaze

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 Tbs orange juice 

Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C 

Line a standard-size muffin tin with paper liners or coat with nonstick cooking spray. 

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Add the egg, milk, oil, vanilla, and zest and stir until just combined. Fold in the cranberries and white chocolate chips. Be careful not to over mix because this will result in a dense muffin.

Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tin filling each cup 3/4 of the way. 

Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Transfer the muffins from the muffin tin to a cooling rack and allow the muffins to cool for 15 minutes. 

To make the glaze, stir together the confectioners’ sugar and juice until it is thin enough to drizzle. 

When the muffins are cool, drizzle the glaze over the top. 

Enjoy!