C is for...Coffee and Cranberry Muffins

I drink coffee every day.  It becomes routine, and I don't always think much about it.  But today we're having our good friends John and Bonnie over to join us for our morning coffee.  Suddenly it becomes more than routine - it's special. My husband and John have gotten together for morning coffee every couple of weeks for quite awhile, and now that Bonnie and I have also finally retired, we enjoy joining them.

I'm baking my special Low Bush Cranberry Muffins, a recipe I've been making for years, since our girls were little in Nikolai and McGrath, Alaska. Luckily we still have good friends who live in Alaska and send us some every year. I hoard them like gold, and only bring them out for special occasions!

I've read that low bush cranberries are actually lingonberries. We used to go out every fall after frost and pick these tart, delicious little deep red berries. They grow close to the ground...I suppose that's why Alaskans call them low bush!

Here's the recipe - I don't know how they'll work if you don't have low bush cranberries, but feel free to try! I've adjusted it for where we live now. I'm going to try adjusting it to be more diabetic-friendly one of these days (almond flour and stevia), but for now I'm not messing with success.  If I get a chance I might even take a picture!

Ingredients

3⁄4 cup low bush cranberries 
3⁄4 cup powdered sugar

2 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder (2-1/2 tsp. for high altitude)
1 tsp. salt
1⁄4 cup sugar (scant 1⁄4 cup for high altitude)
1 egg
1 cup milk (add 3 extra Tablespoons for high altitude) 
1/3 cup (scant) vegetable oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Prepare muffin pan with oil, spray release, or paper liners.
   
2. Stir low bush cranberries and powdered sugar together in a small bowl.
   
3. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
   
4. In a separate bowl, whisk egg, milk, and vegetable oil together. Mix lightly into dry ingredients, being careful not to over-stir.
   
5. Fill muffin cups about halfway. Bake in preheated oven 20 minutes or until golden on edges.