Looking for a way to use up some fresh cranberries that didn't get put to use during the holidays? These orange-scented muffins are delicious, moist and not too sweet.

Since I didn't have buttermilk, I substituted a mixture of 1/2 cup sour cream and 1/2 cup 2% milk. I made 6 muffins as is, then added chocolate chips to the rest of the batter. Both versions were great. Because of the added chocolate chips, I ended up with a total of 14 muffins instead of 12. The Wilton Sparkling Sugar I sprinkled on top of the muffins adds a pretty finishing touch.

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Tags: Baking, buttermilk, fresh cranberries, Muffins, orange zest

These moist and tender muffins are a great way to show off a seasonal Springtime ingredient: rhubarb. The muffins are slightly tart and slightly sweet with a delicious cinnamon-sugar topping.  I like them best the day they're made when the muffin tops are still a little crunchy.

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Tags: cinnamon, Muffins, rhubarb, springtime

Here's a quick and incredibly easy muffin recipe to whip up when you've got a few ripe bananas to use. My kids love them and can each power down several muffins in one sitting. I like them best the day they're baked when the muffin tops are firm with just a slight crunch; the muffins are much softer on Day 2 but still delicious. I usually add 1 teaspoon of vanilla to the batter just to add a bit more flavor.

Read more on Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins…

Tags: banana, chocolate chips, Muffins

These muffins are as good as any sold in a fancy gourmet bakery. They're moist, not too sweet, with a light and airy texture and a fresh lemony flavor. Now with that said, I did have one issue with the recipe. The directions say to overfill the muffin cups to get 12 big, bakery-style muffin tops. I overfilled the 12 muffins cups just like the recipe instructed (with some batter to spare) but the batter overflowed the pan and made a lovely mess in my oven. I don't know if the overflow was a freak of nature or if the instructions just need some tweaking. I'll definitely make the muffins again but maybe next time I'll try dividing the batter between 15 muffin cups instead of just 12.

Read more on Big, Bakery-Style Blueberry Muffins…and a mess in the oven…

Tags: Baking, blueberry, Breakfast, Muffins

For those of you needing to add a little fiber into your life, here’s a recipe for Better Bran Muffins. I got the recipe from America’s Test Kitchen, the PBS cooking show from the Cook’s Illustrated people. Now I know they’re not much to look at but they are good, moist (without being a grease bomb), and not too sweet. The molasses adds a nice richness without being overpowering. I used a Trader Joe's cereal called High Fiber Cereal instead of the recommended All-Bran Original. I made the muffins once with raisins and once with dried cranberries; both are really good but I think I prefer the dried cranberry version. They freeze really well, too.

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Tags: bran, Breakfast, Muffins