I was going to call these holiday muffins but they are too delicious to save for holidays only. Perfect for the winter season, gluten free, with a bit of warming spices, a great flavor combination, not too sweet, pleasantly tart bites of cranberry against a background of aromatic orange.  Highly recommended by my husband and me and Shanti too. Don’t wait too long, make a batch now.

To have on hand:
2 mixing bowls            electric mixer
measuring cup            measuring spoons
citrus squeezer            wooden mixing spoon
zester or grater            muffin pan

Ingredients:
dry ingredients
1½ cups all-purpose gluten free flour
¼ cup corn meal
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cardamom

wet ingredients
¼ cup brown sugar or (coconut or date)
¼ cup coconut oil (or butter, or vegan butter) melted
zest of 2 oranges
juice of 1 orange
¼ cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs or 2 flax eggs (1 flax egg = 3 Tbsp. water to one Tbsp. ground flax
and whipped with a fork until it gets gelatinous)
½ cup yogurt
1½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425

Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. (flour, corn meal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon & cardamom)

In another bowl use an electric mixer to mix sugar and melted coconut oil or butter.
Add zest of oranges, fresh squeezed orange juice, maple syrup, vanilla, eggs & yogurt and mix again.

Pour liquid into dry ingredients and mix gently with the electric mixer.
Then fold in fresh cranberries.

Pour into muffin pans (greased with coconut oil).
Bake at 425 for 5 minutes
Turn oven down to 350 and bake for 20 more minutes or until done. To tell if they are done insert a wooden toothpick pick into the center of one of the muffins before removing the pan from the oven. If it comes out clean or with a few crumbs but not wet, they are ready.

Yummy!