Cran-Raspberry Granita

Granita is frozen dessert of sugar, water, and flavorings from Sicily. My husband and I love ice treats and the granita has really been making a comeback this year as a popular desert. I've seen recipe's that use vodka, but I didn't use any.

4 cups cranberry juice

1 c sugar

1/4 c fresh lime juice

1/4 c raspberry syrup

Whisk the cranberry juice and sugar in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat just until the sugar dissolves. Pour the cranberry mixture into a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Cool completely. Whisk in the syrup and lime juice. Freeze until the granita becomes slushy, about 2 hours. Using fork, stir to blend. Continue freezing the granita until frozen, stirring and scraping the fork across the granita like a rake, every hour or so to form crystals, at least 5 hours or overnight

Orange Cranberry Muffins

I had to make some muffins for work tomorrow so I thought I'd go traditional and simple but using my two favorite flavors in a muffin.

1 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened, plus more for preparing the muffin tin

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

2/3 cup granulated sugar, plus I used leftover coarse sanding sugar (from our award winning rosemary cookies we made this christmas) for topping the muffins

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Put the cranberries and orange juice in a small saucepan, and bring just to a simmer over medium heat. Remove berries from the heat, and set aside to cool and plump. Drain off any excess liquid and set aside.

**Cooks note: I used these in lieu of muffin tins.**

Lightly brush a 12-muffin tin with butter . Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside. In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment,, cream the butter, orange zest, and 2/3 cup sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Remove the bowl from the mixer.

Fold the flour in 3 parts into the butter mixture, alternating with the milk in 2 parts, until just combined. Fold in the cranberries. Do not over mix. Divide the batter evenly into the muffin tin and sprinkle the tops with sugar. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes.