Feb 20, 2013

Sweet Potato Cranberry Muffins with Cinnamon Sugar Frosting

Hannah / Pastries, SWEET TOOTH / baking, carberries, Muffins, Oscars, Recipe, sweet potato / 4 Comments

Our Oscars Sweet Dreams Week continues with Sweet Potato Cranberry Muffins with Cinnamon Sugar Frosting inspired by Django Unchained and Beasts of the Southern Wild, which both take place in the US South. Why Sweet Potato Muffins you might ask? Somehow I always think about Sweet Potato Pie when I think of the South. Sweet Potato makes these muffins moist and the plumpness of the dried cranberries gives them a zing. The Cinnamon Sugar Frosting tops them off with adding the sweetness. Perfect for a lazy Sunday morning. If you want a healthier version just skip the frosting – these Sweet Potato Cranberry Muffins are lovely on their own as well.

Sweet Potato Cranberry Muffins with Cinnamon Sugar Frosting

Preparation time: 20 minutes (+baking / cooling / icing time)

Makes: 12-14 medium muffins

Ingredients:

Muffins:

3 medium sweet potatoes

2 cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup crème fraise

½ cup dark brown muscovado sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground cloves

2 dashes of ground ginger

2 eggs

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 tbsp grated orange rind

½ cup of orange juice

1 cup dried cranberries

Cinnamon Sugar Frosting:

2 ½ cups icing sugar

250 g butter

5 tsp cinnamon (+extra for sprinkling)

100 g cream cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 200 C / 375 F. Grease muffin pans or line them with muffin cups.

With a fork pierce the skins of the sweet potatoes. Place them into the microwave and microwave them on high for 10 minutes or until soft. Let cool.

Grate the orange rind of one medium orange and squeeze the juice.

In a bowl mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Set aside.

Cut the sweet potatoes into halves and with a spoon scoop out the flesh.

In a separate bowl mash the sweet potato until smooth.

Add the eggs, creme fraise, oil, orange juice and rind plus the cranberries. Mix well. Lastly add the flour mixture while continuously mixing. With a large spoon fill the muffin cups with the muffin batter.

Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

To prepare the Cinnamon Sugar Frosting:

Roughly chop the room temperature butter.

In a bowl combine all the ingredients. Beat with an electric mixer until the frosting is smooth.

Pipe onto the thoroughly cooled muffins. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Muffins recipe adapted from Canadian Living