Cranberry Pecan Cornbread Muffins

 Cranberries and pecans are a perfect fall food combination in my kitchen.  I love them in oatmeal, salads, rice, and any type of baked goods.  I’ve been thinking about putting this combo into cornbread for sometime, today was the day.   Instead of making the cornbread in an eight by eight pan, I decided to make them in my mother’s little jello molds.  I love their shape, and wanted to make them a little crispier.  I’m that person that likes to eat the outside edge of something, that part that gets a little crunchy.

These sweet buttery little (vegan) gems are excellent for breakfast or as an afternoon snack with tea.  You could dial down the sugar and non-dairy butter a little but sometimes I like to go a little overboard.  Yum!

Cranberry Pecan Cornmeal Muffins

Makes 12 muffins - Use organic ingredients whenever possible.

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup non-dairy milk (I used rice milk)

I/3 cup Earth Balance Buttery Spread, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 cup unbleached all purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar (I used turbinado sugar)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 pinch salt (the Earth Balance has a lot of salt)

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped 

In a small bowl, mix the rice milk and cornmeal together.  Let it sit for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350˚

Add the melted Earth Balance, vanilla and vinegar to the cornmeal mixture and stir.

In another bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cranberries and pecans.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until well blended.

Divide evenly into 12 lined or oiled muffin cups.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes before trying to remove them to a cooling rack.