Cranberry, Orange & Pistachio Muffins With Vanilla Cream #Christmas #Dessert

Cranberry, Orange & Pistachio Muffins With Vanilla Cream

Possess you heard of the Vegan Perplexity Box Object? No? Neither had I until a few weeks ago. I show most it in a Facebook meet that us bloggers lean to frequent and volunteered myself as it sounded same a fun objective to do.

Essentially, a group of vegan bloggers are acknowledged the similar triplet whodunit ingredients and hump to come up with a recipe which uses them. Then all the bloggers in the gather air their recipe and photographs on the unvaried day at exactly the selfsame term. Included in that station should be course to all of the otherwise bloggers and the recipes they created so that you lovely readers can use a lowercase journeying around and appraisal out all of the wonderful recipes!

Our whodunit ingredients turned out to be cranberries, pistachios and food concentrate. I was thrilled when I institute out what they were as I love all trey of them. I intellection longitudinal and semihard about what I would micturate and had so numerous ideas. Cookies, a dish, a playwright dish…But in the end I definite on muffins (you strength also get the playwright saucer at a ulterior day but that won't be effort of the challenge).

Ingredients

• 120mls | 1/2 cup orange juice , You will need 1 maybe 2 oranges, (zest the orange before you juice it)
• 120g | 1 cup dried cranberries
• 260g | 2 cups all purpose unbleached flour (sifted)
• 2.5 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 100g | 1/2 cup sugar (any light granulated sugar will work, as will coconut sugar)
• 50g | 1/2 cup pistachio nuts , chopped, (see recipe notes)
• 2 tbsp orange zest , a little more or less is fine (use the zest from the oranges you juice)
• 120mls | 1/2 cup coconut oil , in liquid form, (mild olive oil would also work)
• 240mls | 1 cup non-dairy milk
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (white wine vinegar can also be used).
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For frosting

• 1 400 ml can full fat coconut milk , you just need the hard cream on top, (the whole can needs to be refrigerated for at least 12 hours before using).
• 62g | 1/2 cup natural powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean powder ( You may sub this for 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract if you do not have vanilla bean powder but I do recommend you try to get the powder as the flavour is so much better).
• 1 - 2 tablespoons orange juice (what was left when you drained the cranberries) if the cream is very thick and needs loosening.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Line a muffin tray with liners. I love my silicone liners . They can be used over and over and nothing ever sticks in them.
3. Put the cranberries in a small bowl and cover with the orange juice. Leave to soak for at least 15 minutes.
4. Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and suagr into a large bowl.
5. Put orange zest, melted coconut oil. milk, vinegar and vanilla into another bowl and mix together. Don't worry if the coconut oil goes a bit clumpy. Just mix it all up as well as you can.
6. Drain the cranberries (keep the leftover juice and set it aside for now) and add them to the wet ingredients.
7. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir well but not too much. You want it to be just combined so you can't see any dry flour. Over mixing can affect the rise & texture. Then gently fold in the pistachio nuts. 
8. Spoon into muffin cases and put into the oven immediately.
9. Bake for around 25 minutes or until a skewer or toothpick comes out clean.

For the cream

1. While the muffins are cooking or cooling, open the can of coconut milk.
2. Scrape out the hard cream and put in a bowl. Keep the leftover water and add to a smoothie or curry later.
3. Beat with an electric hand held whisk or in a stand mixer until light and fluffy.
4. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla bean powder or extract and beat again until well combined.
5. If too stiff add a drop or two of the reserved drained orange juice to loosen.
6. If you accidentally add a bit too much orange juice then just add a little more powered sugar.
7. The cream will get a little bit loose as it warms up while being whipped. If it's too loose to pipe put it in the fridge to set up a bit, or even the freezer for a little while if you are in a hurry. 
8. Either pipe or spread onto the muffins then decorate with some chopped pistachios and dried cranberries.
9. If you have any leftover orange juice you can save it to add to a smoothie rather than waste it. 

Share this post