What an incredible week this has been, well at least weather wise that is! I can’t believe it was 65 degrees January 31, sunny and blue skies…..it felt like spring!! We really have been lucky this winter, except for a few days here and there and one light snowfall, we have had nothing but above average temperatures. But I think you know as well as I do, that our luck has got to run out…..every year around Presidents day, we have some type of blizzard, and of course I have a seminar all weekend, so keep your fingers crossed that the weather holds out just a little bit longer!
Today was Ground Hog Day, and for those of you that saw the movie, Punxsutawney Phil actually resides in Pennsylvania, a little north of Pittsburgh, and yes the rodent saw his shadow which means 6 more weeks of winter…..sigh I told Lisa that we should’ve stuffed an apple in his mouth and roasted the little bugger…
No, bad chef, we can’t hurt the poor little ground hog, besides they probably have a whole stash of them, just in case.
We’ll that’s enough of my weather reports for this week , let’s move on to why everyone is here today…..It’s Guest Post Friday! Which also means TGIF! Today we have an extra reason to be thankful and that’s because I have a very special guest, my friend Julia from a Fat Girl Trapped in a Skinny Body! We should all have that problem, and let me tell you for all the incredible creations she amazes us with like those peanut butter cupcakes she just made….sigh, I just don’t see how she keeps so thin! One after another, she tempts us with delicious dishes from soups to desserts, and everything in between……
So sit back, relax, put your feet up and prepare to dribble on your keyboard, because these muffins are truly drool worthy, as I give you Julia and…….
Fat Girl Trapped in a Skinny Body
Anytime I get the opportunity to guest post for a fellow food blogger, I like to make breakfast. Or brunch rather. Probably because that is my favorite meal! And if we ever get an opportunity to actually meet, in real life, I imagine doing it over brunch, eating scrumptious pastries, drinking coffee, and chatting. Probably chatting about food. And more food… And then I’d ask Dennis to politely remove himself from our conversation and bake me his pumpkin crunch cake. Because frankly, the image of that cake of it has been burned in my brain since he posted it in November and I want some, BAD! )
So when Chef Dennis asked if I could do a guest post, I was stoked to think up a brunch recipe. Muffins immediately came to mind. I love baking muffins because they are a fantastic vessel for anything leftover or random you have in your kitchen. This cranberry sauce, it’s leftover from…gasp…Christmas! It was in the freezer, so we’re all good. But still, see, perfect example of randomness being thrown into a muffin. The results were sensational.
I sent these muffins home to a friend. She shared them with her family, and her husband thought she was lying when she said they weren’t from a bakery. he said they were amazing, far better then a bakery muffin. His words. Not mine.
So if I ever get the chance to sit down with Chef Dennis for brunch, we’re gonna have ourselves some muffins! And then cake, Dennis, is that a deal?!?!
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup sour cream (I used low fat)
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 cup cranberry sauce (I used homemade chunky sauce)
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a muffin pan (of mini bundt pan) with non stick spray. Or use muffins liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, sugar, sour cream, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk in baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Whisk in flours until just combined (batter is pretty thick).
- Fill the muffin cups with the batter, then spoon about 1 tbsp of your cranberry sauce over the batter.
- Bake muffins for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool muffins in the pan for about 5 minutes, then finish cooling on a wire rack.
- *Store the muffins in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days.
Julia, you gotta deal! Those muffins would go oh so well with my morning coffee, on my drive to work at 4:30 in the morning…..no more tastycakes for me! Wow, and those images were truly stunning!
Ok, now the rest of you , wipe down your keyboards and head on over to Fat Girl in a Skinny Body and see all the delicious dishes that Julia has on display, just remember to give yourself enough time to look around, and make sure you tell her Chef Dennis sent you!
Right now this Fat Chef trapped in a Fat Body has to go forage for something to eat, because those muffins got me hungry!
Have a great Weekend my friends!
These photographs are great, the muffins just jump out. I love that you always do one type of food for guest posts, great idea. You can’t go wrong with brunch!
I am a huge muffin fan! My freezer is always stocked with at least a few different kinds. This are truly beautiful!
Great guest post!
I’m a sucker for a good cranberry muffin. These look lovely!
I still have cranberry sauce left from Christmas. Its actually one of my favorite foods but I never thought to put it in a muffin.
This had me laughing from start to finish! Two of my favorite bloggers!! Ummm can I get in on this brunch of muffins and pumpkin crunch cake? Please?!! Call me!
Julia…those cranberry sauce muffins certainly had me drooling and hungry at the same time…your fault coz your beautiful clicks on them does play harvoc to my salivary glands
Well done and love the way the sauce oozes out of the muffins…I cant have you send them to me I have to make them myself…lucky I have 3 more packets of fresh ones in the freezer ! Now I can make them for the family. Thanks for such a wonderful guest post ! I shall jump over to see your other goodies …yum yum yum !
Chef Dennis…glad the weather is fine so far and hope it continues on but for us not having experienced snow…we would look forward to it :p for it is scorching hot and humid over here
Thanks for introducing Julia to us. Great post and I love anything with cranberries in them..haha I managed to stash up 3 more packets of fresh cranberries and this recipe came to good use 
Have a great day Chef!
Regards,
Elin
this looks beautiful deliciously done
love cranberries, look these muffins look awesome love the pictures, Huggss Dennis
brunch is my favorite meal of the day, maybe because I get so busy in the morning and I skip breakfast.
oh yeah, muffins, coffee and chat is a recipe for a great brunch!
Julia, these sound great! I make a quick bread with cranberry sauce and I love it so I know this must be fantastic! The sauce adds so much flavor and moistness.
Chef, great choice as usual and I hear you on the weather. Though I’m inclined to think Ol’ Groundhog Phil was mixed up today cause how can we have six more weeks when we’ve barely had Winter in the first place?
Julia-your muffins look incredible! Can you send some down here to me:) Dennis-the weather has been crazy and especially warm here. I hope you get to relax this weekend. Lovely post from sweet Julia.
Great looking muffins! I guess when the ground hog saw his shadow, it didn’t mean 6 more weeks of winter for us, it meant a massive sand storm
I would have liked to bake these while we were staying in the house, it would have made our time trapped inside more enjoyable. I bet the house would have smelled great for hours!
I love cranberries in a muffin and you used another fav ingredient of mine…buttermilk! That stuff is like a flavor bomb and is awesome in cakes. Orange is another great friend of the cranberry
Great guest post for the man!!
wow looks fabulous muffin!, I have 1 kg whole wheat flour at my refrigerator, and you give an idea to make muffin from the flour! cheers
These muffins do look fantastic and cranberries are wonderful in baked goods, any season!
The cold then warm weather has just been crazy here-I sure wish it would settle on one way or the other. Enjoy the weekend!
My oh my those pictures are awesome! You do have me drooling Julia and thanks Chef for inviting her over.
oooh, these look like a delicious breakfast treat
Great guest post!
All I have to say, is that if you and Chef Dennis DO get together and eat pumpkin cake and cranberry muffins, I better be invited. I’ll bring the booze–, I mean, coffee
no, you mean booze.
A friend of mine cooks up a groundhog shaped meatloaf every year so they can eat the little bugger. Probably tastes much better than the real thing!
Whoa those look amazing! Nicely done with the guest post. I hope you both have a great weekend!
I am with you on roasting the ground hog! lol Those muffins are my kind of breakfast! Great post!
I love cranberries and these muffins look pretty spectacular. The color is amazing…I would love to have one right now.
I am loving this use of cranberries! I just pinned this to try next time I have extra sauce in the fridge. Thanks, Julia!
Good Luck with your seminar this weekend, Chef Dennis. Hopefully the weather will surprise you and be gorgeous! If not, come on out to the desert for a visit. It’s nothing but sunshine here. Of course, you might want to come soon. In a few months, it’s going to get ugly!
There’s something so warm and welcoming about breakfast foods as well – it’s like the perfect invitation to pull up a chair and relax!
Beautiful! Love the red popping in the pictures… I believe you when you say they’re better than bakery muffins… Gorgeous guest post, and nice to meet you, Julia! Can’t wait to visit your blog
And great guest post, Chef Dennis!
Julia, your muffins look fantastic. I’m not going to reveal what you might find in my freezer OR how old it all is!!!
Dennis, another fabulous Friday! Have a wonderful weekend…I think I’m sending you some cooler temps and precipitation from the Midwest
I just want to pop those big cranberries. These look like great muffins!
cranberries are the best berry! i swear it! these muffins look beautiful, i wish i could eat them all!
Oh, how yummy! And I still have cranberries in my freezer to use up!
colourful looking muffins
Julia, your Cranberry Muffins just made our day!! Love the photos
I’m a muffin lover and adding cranberry makes it awesome! having this at breakfast with the best cup of coffee—perfect day!!