Grandma's Cranberry Muffins

When I was younger, my family would spend Thanksgiving at my grandparents house up in the mountains. It seemed like it took forever to drive there, but the fun we had and the memories we created made it well worth the trip.  Their place looked alot like a Christmas card with the house surrounded by about three or four feet of snow, the silver smoke circling through the air coming from the chimney, and the barn on the hillside with the animals peeking out.  


I fondly remember a few things about my childhood Thanksgiving's at their house; sledding down the hill in the cow pasture on Thanksgiving day and bruising my knees on the frozen cow pies when I hit them at full speed in my toboggan, coming in to a warm house that was full of my family with a turkey on the dining room table about to be devoured and sneaking snow in through an upstairs window and putting it on the wood stove to see it dance and hear it sizzle.  I recall my grandmother always having pumpkin pie cooling on the washer and dryer in the mudroom with a tea towel over the top.  If I wasn't out playing in the snow, I spent my time darting around the house, Mission-Impossible style taking in precious little memories to keep for a lifetime.

Grandma's Cranberry Muffin recipe is tradition.  The copy I have is in my mother's beautiful handwriting.  Grandma made these every time we visited for the holidays and she served them with breakfast, but I eat them the whole day through. 

1 C. Raw Cranberries cut in half

3/4 C. Sugar, divided

2 C. Flour

3/4 t. Baking Soda
1/2 t. Salt
1 Egg
1/4 C. Buttermilk
1 C Orange Juice
1/2 C. Melted Shortening



Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease 18 muffin pan cups.



Combine cranberries with 1/2 C. Sugar.  Mix and set aside.  Combine flour, soda, salt and remaining sugar.  Combine egg, buttermilk, oil and orange juice and pour into center of dry ingredients.  Stir just until mixed.  Gently fold in cranberry mixture.  Put in greased muffin pans and bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.


Picture content:  My sister, Tiffany, holding fresh cranberries.