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Stuffing, orange cranberry + Cranberry Muffins

Source of Recipe

by Sharon Wilson, a wwr newsletter reader
This recipe combines the best of both worlds: orange cranberry muffinsfor breakfast, then the leftovers can be made into a simple and quickstuffing which can be served with chicken or turkey.

Orange Cranberry Stuffing, plus
+ Cranberry Muffins

Stuffing:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil,
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
2 ribs celery, with greens, from the heart of the stalk, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
Salt and pepper
2 cranberry orange muffins, recipe follows
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 cup chicken stock

Stuffing: In a medium frying pan over moderate heat add oil and
butter. When butter melts into oil, add celery, onion, bay. Season
with salt and pepper. Split muffins down the center and crumble into
pan to combine with the vegetables. Add thyme and chicken stock.
Cook stuffing 5 minutes, then remove from heat and let stand in warm
pan. To serve, mound cranberry orange stuffing onto each dinner plate
using an ice cream scoop. Rest chicken or turkey slices on top of the
stuffing and cover with gravy. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Muffin recipe:
1 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened, plus more
for preparing the muffin tin
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
2/3 cup granulated sugar, plus up to 1 tablespoon
for topping the muffins, if desired
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Put the cranberries and orange
juice in a small saucepan, and bring just to a simmer over medium
heat. Remove berries from the heat, and set aside to cool and plump.
Drain off any excess liquid and set aside. Lightly brush a 12-muffin
tin with butter. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a
medium bowl and set aside. In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle
attachment, or with an electric hand-held mixer in a large bowl, cream
the butter, orange zest, and 2/3 cup sugar until light and fluffy,
about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber
spatula. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each
addition. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Fold the flour in 3 parts
into the butter mixture, alternating with the milk in 2 parts, until
just combined. Fold in the cranberries. Do not over mix. Divide the
batter evenly into the muffin tin and sprinkle the tops with sugar.
Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool muffins in the pan on
a rack. Serve warm.