I happened upon yesterday’s episode of the Barefoot Contessa and Ina Garten completely caught my attention when she started measuring out the ingredients for a Cranberry Harvest Muffin. What struck me about the recipe she was demonstrating was the amount of cinnamon and ginger (I do like cinnamon and ginger!) added to the batter and that chopped, fresh cranberries were used with dried Calimyrna figs. Also, the online recipe includes using hazelnuts…what could be better? For timing purposes when I made these this morning, I used walnuts instead.
These muffins are not only beautiful with the fresh, bright red cranberries and chunks of figs peeping through the muffins with nuts, it tasted just as good as it looks, if not better! The tartness of the cranberries with the sweetness from the figs in combination of the cinnamon and ginger spices, made for seasonal muffin goodness.
Isn’t that what the best muffins are all about? Using seasonal fruits or vegetables with spices, nuts and touches of healthfulness…that’s the basis of the best muffins! I’ll be making these again before the year’s end and personally rate these as one of the best newer muffin recipes I’ve tried this year.
- I don’t usually use paper liners for muffins, unless it’s going to be sticky and gooey. For these muffins the fresh cranberries and figs might make for the muffins sticking to the pans, so using liners is a good thing.
- Substituted half of the flour with whole wheat flour.
- Used 2% low-fat milk instead of whole milk.
- I didn’t have toasted, skinned hazelnuts readily available so I substituted walnuts.
- The original recipe indicates baking for 20-25 minutes. My baking time was 15-18 minutes and it was perfect.
Cranberry Harvest Muffins with Figs – prep
Makes 18 Muffins
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/4 cups 2% low-fat milk
2 large eggs
1 cup unsalted butter (1/2 pound -OR- 2 sticks), melted and cooled
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup Calimyrna figs, diced
3/4 cups hazelnuts, coarsely chopped, toasted and skinned -OR- walnuts, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup granulated sugar
Preheat oven to 375°.
Line muffin pan with 18 paper liners.
Sift the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the milk, eggs and cooled, melted butter. Stir to combine. Add the cranberries, figs, nuts and the sugars. Stir until fruits and nuts are evenly distributed throughout the batter – but do not over mix.
Using a large cookie scoop, evenly distribute the batter amongst the paper liners in the muffin pans. Bake for 15-18 minutes -OR- until the tops are browned and a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean.
Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer muffins to a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container.
source modified from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook/The Food Network
Aggie says
Oh my gosh these muffins are beautiful and chock full of good stuff!!! Thank you so much for visiting my blog! It’s great to meet you!
5 Star Foodie says
Wow these muffins sound incredible with both cranberries and figs! What a delicious combination!
Biren @ Roti n Rice says
Cristina, these muffins look gorgeous and I am sure they must taste awesome. I love the picture of the chopped cranberries and figs. Ina Garten has some very good recipes.
Jessica says
these look amazing!
Island Vittles says
What a delicious looking muffin for a cold winter’s morning! I love the tart cranberry and sweet fig combo — perfect balance and a lot of fruit sourced fibre — it does a body good! Theresa
zerrin says
These are adorable! Fig is my favorite fruit and they make perfect aouple with cranberries in muffins.
Tiffany Rosenberger says
These are so different and beautiful. I LOVE figs and never thought of combining them with cranberries. Thanks for sharing this recipe. I bet the whole wheat flour gives it a great texture.
torviewtoronto says
flavourful muffins delicious
Samantha says
those look delicious! and the photos are amazing. I can’t wait to keep on reading
briarrose says
Oh these look lovely. I’ve never tried figs in muffins….what a wonderful addition.
Sara says
Spices and seasonal fruit…I think you just made my ideal muffin! I want to come over too!!
Angie's Recipes says
Love these muffins with seasonal fruits…they look totally delightful.
Sprinkles of Parsley says
These look beautiful! Not to mention full of flavor and delicious… I love that you mixed in whole wheat flour for an even healthier muffin. I absolutely love great breakfast recipes… definitely bookmarking this one and using it for Christmas morning!
ThatsHowIRoll says
I love figs and I love cranberries! The combination of both sounds divine to me and your pictures are absolutely amazing! I want to bite one now lol. Signing for updates too 🙂
Luna says
These muffins look incredible. What a good choice of ingredients!.. Thank you very much for sharing this delicious recipe!. All the best. Luna
Amy Bakes Everything says
I love muffins that burst with fruit and nuts like that! Those are gorgeous and look super-yummy!
Monet says
Just beautiful! I loved your tip about paper liners. I usually avoid them, but I think you are spot-on with these babies! Those figs can get sticky. I wish I had one of these to snack on in the morning. They look and sound amazing. Thank you so much for sharing with us!
Joy says
this is a great recipe. I love that you used both cranberries and figs.
heather says
Really beautiful. I figure, if something looks good as batter only, it’s got a LOT going for it! And what’s better, they’re nutritious! Loving these.
Cheers,
*Heather*
Sheena says
These muffins look so wholesome and delicious!
Lindsey @ Gingerbread Bagels says
I’ve been curious after since I got Ina’s first cookbook years ago and I’ve always wanted to make them. Your muffins look absolutely delicious. I love your photos, just gorgeous and so colorful. And I must say I love that you added walnuts instead of hazelnuts becaue I’m allergic to hazelnuts!
Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking says
Cristina, you always come up with the most unique flavors of muffins – I love the cranberry-fig combination. They look absolutely delicious, and especially so since I haven’t yet had breakfast this morning! Thanks for sharing. Also, I’m having a cookies and cookbook giveaway today that you should enter!
Priscilla - She's Cookin' says
I’d like one of these with my coffee please 🙂 Love the last photo of the figs and cranberries.
Roxan says
These look awesome! I have all the ingredients at home to make this right now (though my cranberries and figs are dried). Half pound of butter, that sounds like a lot? how many sticks is that? And when can I come over for a muffin and glass of milk?
Have a great day, Teenie! It’s going to be a beautiful one.
Cristina - Teenie Cakes says
Hi Roxan: I think the dried cranberries will work too, though I haven’t tried it. Maybe soak them to fluff them up. You’re right about the 1/2 pound of butter sounding like a lot 🙂 It measures out to 1 cup or 2 sticks of butter (as sold in the U.S.).
I’ve just bought a fresh carton of milk and setting out the muffins now…come over! 🙂