Gluten-Free Cranberry Orange Pecan Muffins

Some of the people that we love most in this world are now gluten-free, so it is definitely time for me to start upping my game and experimenting with gluten-free baking. I am a sucker for the cranberry-orange flavor profile, so I thought I'd try making some muffins. I added a sweet orange glaze, and they were delicious! 

I found this AMAZING gluten-free flour blend at Jungle Jim's and have been really pleased at how yummy my treats are turning out with this substitution. 

 My husband even ate several of the chocolate chip cookies I made with it and thought they were pretty tasty!

What I love best about this blend is that I can just sub it out for all-purpose flour in my tried and true recipes. If you're not gluten-free, definitely try these muffins with AP flour.

 My faves!

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma

You will need:

2 cups Pillsbury Gluten Free Flour Blend

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

1/2 cup 2% milk

4 tablespoons softened butter

2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup orange juice + 1 cup orange juice (for the cranberries)

3/4 cup Craisins

For the glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

3 tbsp. orange juice

Pardon the cell phone pix- I had no intention of blogging this recipe until I tasted the results!

First, add 1 cup of orange juice and the cranberries to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce until the berries are plump and no juice remains. Allow to cool.

Add your egg, milk, sugars, vanilla, butter and orange juice to a mixing bowl and mix on medium speed until combined. Add the baking powder, salt and flour then mix again until combined (don't over-mix!).

 Stir or mix (on your lowest setting) the cooled cranberries into your batter.

If you have whole pecans (hello, Sam's Club!), place them in a sandwich bag and give them a few good whacks with a measuring cup or rolling pin.

 Baking and therapy all in one!

Add your pecans and stir.

 Get your muffin liners ready!

 Then fill them up! 

These muffins don't rise as high as the AP flour muffins, so you may want to fill the cups a little higher than usual.

 Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes (oven temps and times may vary, so test with a toothpick!) then cool completely.

 Once your muffins are completely cool, mix your glaze ingredients in a small bowl and pour the mixture into a baggie. 

Snip the tip and drizzle the icing over your muffins. 

Then, bring some to your lovely, kind and sweet neighbor. 

She'll thank you, I promise!

And, just for a laugh, please know that my adorable sous-chef insisted on blasting Uptown Funk and Riptide pretty much on repeat throughout the making of these muffins.

Love.This.Girl.