Apple-Cranberry Strusel Muffins

So, earlier this week we were grocery shopping and I did something TOTALLY out of character: impulse buying. Well, sort of. I was doing a great job of sticking to my list, but then I came across the grapes, which I was intending to buy for snacking purposes. But they were $4 a pound. Seriously! So, they were a no go. However, they were right next door to this little display of 12oz bags of fresh cranberries. I like cranberry - so I bought a bag.

But then what to do with them? Rob really doesn't love cranberry sauce, and I don't know how to make it anyway. I should bake them into something. But what? A quick search turned up the idea that you can use them as a replacement for some of the apples in any recipe calling for apple. So I made a few alterations to a recipe in one of my favorite "cookbooks" - the Taste of Home Bread Bonanza (which is really just a magazine).

COST: $3.45

Flour - $0.30
Sugar - $0.30
Baking Powder - $0.10
Baking Soda - $0.10
Cinnamon - $0.05
Salt - Neg.
Eggs - $0.20
Sour Cream - $0.50
Butter - $0.40
Apples - $0.75
Cranberries - $0.75


INGREDIENTS:

Muffins:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups diced peeled apples (I used a Johnagold - yes, just one - it was huge!)
3/4 cup whole fresh cranberries

Topping:
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons cold butter


DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. (I just put them all into the KitchenAid Mixer)
In another bowl, beat the eggs, sour cream, and butter. (Just rapid whisking)
Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. (Turn the mixer on to STIR, let it mix up the dry ingredients, then pour in the wet ones.)
Pour in diced apples and cranberries, stir in briefly.
Pour into greased muffin tins to 2/3 full.

Preheat oven to 400.

For topping, combine sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Use pasty blender to cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle a rounded teaspoonfull over each muffin.

Bake at 400 for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean (you may want to test this before 18 minutes, my oven temp is consistently low and 18 minutes was perfect for me.)

Cool 5 minutes in pans, then transfer to wire racks. Serve warm. Yield - 16 muffins (I actually got 21, but they were VERY randomly sized)