I got a wild hair a couple of days ago about muffins made with preserved lemon as the flavoring. Preserved lemon is a miracle ingredient; I am pretty sure there is nothing that does not taste better with preserved lemon in it. I put it in sloppy joe the other (the homemade kind, what do you think I am?) and it was amazing. So here's a lemon-cranberry loaf, adapted from Queen Martha:
Cranberry-Orange Loaf
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter and flour loaf pan. Soak 1 1/2 cups dried cranberries in very hot water for about
15 minutes.
Mix in separate bowl:
• 3 1/2+ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus
more for pan
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
In mixer:
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for
pan
• 3/4 c honey
• 1/2 preserved lemon, chopped fine
• 1/4 c sugar
then:
• 4 large eggs, one at a time
then:
• 3/4 cup half-half, alternating with flour mix
fold in:
• cranberries
• 1 cup blanched almonds slivers
This filled a loaf pan ¾ full,
with enough left over for six muffins (hence the “20 servings” in the calorie
chart)
Transfer batter to prepared pans
and bake until a skewer inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs, . Bake 15 minutes then turn temp down to 350. Bake for another 40 to 50 minutes, then knife test it. (Add time if the knife doesn't come out clean.) Let cool in pans on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet,
30 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on rack.
Glaze with honey/sugar/lemon syrup (make it up) if you like.
