Muffins and Cupcakes, Oh My!

Last night before bed, I whipped up some apple cranberry harvets muffins!  I know, I know: who am, I "whipping up muffins before bed?"  But we had cranberries left over from when I made the cranberry breakfast cake, and we also had some apples that we beginning to get soft.  My new thing is trying to find recipes to use to get rid of ingredients!  And I am always trying to find quick breakfasts. 

The muffins came out good!  They are cinnamony and gingery, with apples and cranberries and raisins.  I think next time I would leave the raisins out though - too much fruit!  And maybe I would add some sort of nuts... I never say that but I think it needed some sort of a crunch.  Maybe walnuts.  So, note to self: no raisins, add walnuts!  Anyway, the muffins were great and I enjoyed one last night and one this morning before bed :)

Apple Cranberry Harvest Muffins

I thought I was done with the muffin tin for a while, since ours is older than me and horrendous to clean - but, enter wonderful boyfriend with a brand new nonstick muffin pan (and a mandoline!) today! He's the best!  So I just had to try it out. 

I decided to make creamsicle cupcakes.  I like creamsicles so I was excited when I found a recipe.  Since I had to zest 2 oranges, I juiced the oranges as well so I wouldn't waste them, so they have fresh orange juice along with the regular stuff.  They are certainly not the most beautiful things... Mark's new tin's cupcakes came out perfectly, but the other tin got a little stuck and are a bit mangled-looking.  I also tried the convection setting of the oven today, and I am not a fan.  It cooked too fast and too unevenly - which is weird, because I know that is not what is supposed to happen.  I think I will stick with conduction!  And, to add to the ugliness, my frosting job was pretty shabby; Mom told me to just take a knife to them and smooth them out.  I reminded me family to eat with theit mouths, not their eyes :) I am thinking about taking a course at Monty Tech on cake decorating; Mom and Susie took it a long time ago (but let me tell you, my mother is rusty!) and I definitely need some help. It sucks to spend so much time on something and have it taste great but look like a 6-year old made it!  Anyone want to take it with me?

Recipes:
Apple Cranberry Harvest Muffins
Creamsicle Cupcakes