1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup orange juice
The zest of 1 orange
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or line 12 muffin cups.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, orange juice, zest and vanilla. Stir in sugar and butter.

Pour milk mixture over flour mixture and combine until flour is just moistened. Fold in the cranberries. Batter will be lumpy.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until tops are golden. Remove from oven and let muffins cool on a wire rack. Lightly dust with powdered sugar if desired.

Yields 12 muffins.

I love, love, love making cookies. For me, they are the easiest sweet treat to make. While trying to fins some inspiration for holiday baking within my cupboards, I cam across some Quaker oats and a bag of dried cranberries. I figured if raisins can go in oatmeal cookies, so can dried cranberries. The hint of orange and clove add a little something special.

1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
3 cups quick-cooking OR old fashioned oats
1 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ground cloves and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars. Beat in eggs and vanilla and orange zest. Stir in flour mixture. Add in oats and cranberries; mix well.

Drop cookies by the spoonful onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and let cookies cool on a wire rack.

Yields about 4 dozen cookies.

Mango Mojito Mocktail
4 cups ginger ale
4 cups mango nectar
1/3 cup lime juice
16 mint leaves
Ice

Place 4 mint leaves in the bottom of each glass; muddle with a spoon. Add ice. In a large pitcher, mix together the mango nectar and lime juice. Add the ginger ale right before serving. Pour into tall glasses filled with ice.

Yields 8 servings.

Sparkling Cranberry-Ginger Mocktail
4 cups cranberry juice
1 cup orange juice
3 cups ginger ale
Ice

In a large pitcher, mix together the cranberry juice and lime juice. Add the ginger ale right before serving. Pour into tall glasses filled with ice.

Yields 8 servings.

Mango Pineapple Mocktail
2 cups pineapple juice
2 cups mango nectar
4 cups lime flavored sparkling water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Ice
Pineapple, cut into wedges

Right before serving,  mix together the pineapple juice, mango nectar, lime flavored sparkling water and vanilla in a large pitcher. Pour into tall glasses filled with ice. Garnish with pineapple wedges.

Yields 8 servings.

Sparkling Cranberry Cider
4 cups cranberry juice
4 cups Martinelli’s sparkling apple cider
Ice
Whole cranberries

In a large pitcher, mix together the cranberry juice and sparkling apple cider right before serving. Pour into tall glasses filled with ice. Garnish with cranberries.

Yields 8 servings.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, which got me thinking about cranberries. Then, I saw an episode of Rachael Ray where she suggested spiking traditional cranberry sauce with a little Grand Marnier. That was all the inspiration I needed for this cake.

Topping:
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure orange extract
2 cups whole cranberries

Cake:
1 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground clove
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon pure orange extract
3/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square pan.

Topping:
In a saucepan, cook sugar and cranberries over medium-low heat until cranberries begin to pop and juice is thickened. Remove from heat and let cool. Stir in orange extract. Set aside.

Cake:
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, ground clove, salt and baking powder, set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Beat in the eggs, vanilla and orange extracts. Stir in the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the buttermilk and ending with the flour mixture.

Pour cranberry mixture into prepared pan. Carefully spoon batter on top of cranberry mixture, starting with the edges and moving inward.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until done in center. Remove from oven and let cool slightly, then turn upside-down onto a plate.

Serve each cake slice with a dollop of honey whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Yields 9 servings.