Rose Chintz Cottage

Thursday, 12 February 2015

Recipe for Cranberry Muffins

Good afternoon my dear friends! Today's recipe is:

Cranberry Muffins

I think some of you were under the impression that I was having my kitchen renovated. I wish! Rather, I had some cabinets come loose from the wall and just about crashed holding my everyday china as well as one of my good sets. My two Royal Albert teapots were also displayed above those cabinets so it gave us a bit of a fright when there was a loud crack very early one morning.

I was somewhat dismayed having my dishes spread out on every surface in the kitchen. I am thankful however that the dishes were not broken.
We managed until a friend came over and put the cabinets back together again and affixed them to the wall so they will stay put. I did get some spring cleaning done too in the process.

I have been planning to paint my cabinets white but my back just won't allow me to do that so for the time being they will remain oak.

Now, on to the recipe. As I mentioned in my tea post, this is an old recipe. Not sure where I found it, perhaps an old TV Guide, remember those?

Anyway, these muffins are the best I've eaten. They are moist and buttery with the tang of orange in them. My father loved them and so does my hubby. Don't be fooled by their flat tops. They resemble home made crumpets.

Early North American settlers called the bitter red fruit "crane berries" because the cranes feasted on them. Slightly sweetened and folded into a buttery muffin batter, they become a breakfast feast for modern celebrants.

CRANBERRY MUFFINS
2 cups cranberries, chopped
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups sifted flour
2 TBSP baking powder
1 tsp salt
4 TBSP sugar
2 TBSP grated orange or tangerine rind
2 large eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 cup melted butter

Combine the chopped berries with the 1/2 cup of sugar. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and remaining sugar. Combine the rind, eggs, milk and melted butter. Add liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients, blending just until dry ingredients are thoroughly dampened. Stir in cranberries. Fill buttered muffin tins and bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Makes 2 dozen muffins

These muffins are lovely for breakfast, tea time, or a snack. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

Have a lovely Valentines Day!

Sharing with these lovely parties:

Share Your Cup Thursday
Home Sweet Home

Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi

Monday, 9 February 2015

A Valentines Tea

Welcome to my Valentines Day Tea!

If instead of a gem, or even a flower, we should cast the gift of a loving thought into the heart of a friend, that would be giving as the angels give. ~ George MacDonald

Hello lovely friends ~
I have been waiting for a special occasion to share what my dear friend had gifted me with for my birthday last month and today is the day.

I only had about an hour to set my tea up because I had someone coming to fix my kitchen cabinets. As soon as I finished taking my pictures I had to clear it all away and everything in my pantry and on top of the pantry was loaded on to the table. This past week my kitchen looks as though a cyclone had hit it. A story I won't go into just now.
Because of my hurried tea time, I wasn't able to take my time and do the lovely affair I had planned, so please bear with me.

On to my delightful gift....
Two matching cups and saucers; one for me and one for my little granddaughter, Jenna-Lynn. One is a regular size cup and saucer and the other is a miniature set, just perfect for little hands.

Both of these sets are made by Masons and are they not adorable? I was elated when I opened the gift box and found these!

My teacup....

Red is perfect for Valentines Day, don't you think?

Jenna-Lynn's teacup.

Charming red transferware, which you know I love, and when my little lambie comes to visit, we will sip our tea from these teacups.

This is my little lambie a few months ago watching her brother play soccer. She was mimicking her mom sitting like that with her legs crossed; so cute!

It may be a while before she and I can actually enjoy having a tea party together because she lives on the west coast. But Tea will be so much fun when we do finally get together.

The daintiness and yet elegance of a china teacup focuses one to be gentle, to think warmly and to feel close. ~ Carol and Malcolm Cohen

For those of you who like hearts, I have set out my heart teacup too. This pretty set is from Gracie Bone China. I have tucked in a rose from last week's bouquet just for fun.

And just to mix things up a bit and keep it interesting, I am also using my red Felicity set made by Burleigh of England.

Which teacup would you like to choose today?

The teapot is Victorian Bird made by Gracie China.

The pink iridescent tree was a Christmas gift from Hubby and I have kept it out for this special occasion. I had hoped to get it decorated beautifully for today's tea but it was a crazy week what with my kitchen in shambles and two major snow storms so I didn't get out to Michaels.

So I just used what I had on hand; a few hearts and pink roses.

"Life is a journey, and love is what makes that journey worthwhile."

Chocolate anyone?

Now let's gather around my table and we'll have a wee tea party.

Happiness is sharing tea with a friend.

I have cranberry muffins, which resemble homemade crumpets, and chocolate hearts to enjoy with our tea. The plate is Vista, just like the teacups, made by Masons of England.

These are the best cranberry muffins! My father really loved them and so does my hubby. They don't look very fancy with their flat tops but believe me when I tell you they are scrumptious!

It's an old recipe and there is no need for butter because they are rich and buttery all on their own. They have a sweet and tangy taste to them thanks to the orange zest folded into the batter. They are simply wonderful for breakfast, tea time, or a snack. I will share the recipe on Thursday for those of you who would like to try them.

One thing I should mention to inject a little romance into my post is that it was on this date, February 9th, Hubby and I had our first date and our first kiss. It was the beginning of a life long romance with the one I love. Life is sweet!

Thank you for visiting today. If you have some tea wares, a coffee or chocolate pot, a collection of creamers or sugar bowls, please share with us. A tea time recipe, a tablescape, or a visit to a Tea Shop would be welcome too.