Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins with Orange Icing

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line muffin pan wells with cupcake wrappers (recipe makes 28 to 30 muffins so line the appropriate number of pans). Lightly spray the inside of the wrappers with baking spray. Or if you prefer to make loaves of bread, grease and flour two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans.

Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.

Sort through the fresh cranberries and remove any shriveled, soft, or browned berries. Toss the fresh cranberries into the dry ingredients, to coat. Make a well in the center of the bowl.

Place the sugar, pumpkin puree, eggs, canola oil, and orange juice in another bowl, whisking until the ingredients are well combined.

Pour the sugar mixture into the well in the dry ingredients. Fold together with a rubber spatula/scraper until everything is just moistened and incorporated.

Fill each of the prepared muffin cups 2/3 full of batter. Or if you are making loaves of bread, divide batter evenly between prepared loaf pans.

Bake muffins for 18 to 20 minutes (or 60 to 65 minutes for bread) or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans set on on wire racks for 10 minutes before removing from the pans to cool completely.

Once muffins (or loaves) are completely cool, prepare the icing.

In a small bowl, stir together powdered sugar and orange juice to make a smooth, thick icing. Transfer the icing into a small sandwich bag. Squeeze the icing toward one corner of the bag, and twist the top of the bag closed. Snip a tiny part of the corner filled with icing off of the bag, and then quickly drizzle the icing over the muffins or bread. Allow icing 15 minutes to set before serving.

Notes:
– Leftover muffins/bread should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
– I highly recommend not substituting sweetened dried cranberries for the fresh cranberries. The fresh cranberries really make the texture of the muffins/bread, adding a tang and moisture that cannot be achieved with dried fruit. Stock up on cranberries in the fall when they are in season, and stash them in the freezer for later use.