A few days before Thanksgiving, I’ll make the cranberry sauce with whatever I have on hand. I’ll weigh the cranberries, add 30% of the weight in sugar, 1-2 Tbsp of lemon or orange juice, large pieces of rind (without the pith), a scrapped vanilla bean or 1-2 Tbsp of vanilla extract, and a bit of water. I’ll cook this on low for 20-30 minutes or until most of the cranberries are popped, then remove the vanilla bean and pieces of citrus rind and chill. Leftover cranberry sauce gets turned into cranberry muffins.

Lea’s Cranberry Muffins

Muffin Batter

• 250 grams AP flour

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 165 grams vegetable oil

• 375 grams sugar

• 225 ml milk

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 2 eggs

Crumb Topping

• 65 grams brown sugar

• 65 grams granulated sugar

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

• 113 grams butter, melted

• 215 grams AP flour

Prepare the Crumb Topping

• Add sugars, cinnamon and salt to melted butter, whisk until combined. Add flour and stir until crumbs form. Let sit for about 20 min. Then break up the crumbs to use on muffins.

Prepare the Muffin Batter

• Combine flour, salt, baking powder in a bowl. Combine vegetable oil, sugar, milk, vanilla and eggs and whisk until combined. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix just until combined. Do not over mix. Batter should still be lumpy but with no visible dry flour.

• Scoop batter into muffin tins about 1/2 to 2/3 full, add some cranberry sauce (about 1 Tbsp per muffin) and swirl with a toothpick. Top with crumb topping. Bake 350 for about 15-20 until done.

Note: Muffin batter and crumb topping can be made a head and kept in the fridge for up to 2 days.