Pumpkin-Cranberry-Orange Muffins

First of all, have I mentioned that I HAVE NO CAMERA???  Ugh!  I do not like this!  But while the new camera buying decision process is...processing, I just have to deal with more not-so-fancy pictures...this time via my not-so-fancy camera- (not smart-) phone.

With that said, these muffins, despite the sorry pictures, were really good! 

This week in our CSA box, we got a sweet pumpkin...the kind for baking, not carving.  I couldn't wait to make...and SMELL...fresh pumpkin in my house.  Mmmmm....fall is here!  While I dread the approach of the never ending winter, I really do love fall.  In all it's colors, smells of cinnamon and firewood, worn jeans and sweatshirts, and excuses for baking, fall would trump summer...if not for what follows. 

Anyway, I baked my pumpkin...cut it in half, seeded it, turned it face down in a glass baking dish, covered it with foil, baked at 375 for 45 mins, then turned off the oven and left it there to go to the park for an hour...mashed the innards and used it in the following recipe...which was modified by your generic pumpkin bread recipe. 

Pumpkin-Cranberry-Orange Muffins

Ingredients

2-1/4 cups AP flour (actually, I used 1-1/4 cups white and 1 cup white wheat flours)

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 cup pureed pumpkin (or canned pumpkin)

1/2 cup canola oil

2 eggs

zest of one orange

freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 an orange

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions...here goes...

Mix the dry ingredients and orange zest together in a bowl.

In a large measuring cup, mix together the wet ingredients.

Add the wet to dry and combine. 

Stir in the dried cranberries. 

Fill lined muffin tin (makes about 21) 2/3 full and bake at 350 for about 18 mins.

The dried cranberries added a lot of sweetness to them.  You don't need frosting... but, if you must...try a dollop of orange cream cheese frosting.  Yummy!  Welcome Fall!  :)