Cranberry Orange Muffins

I found these delightful muffins on Pinterest when I was looking for ways to use up the stockpile of cranberries left in the freezer after the holidays.  The original recipe was great, but a bit thin on cranberries.  I want a berry in every bite!  So I adjusted here and there and ended up with just what I was dreaming of in a cranberry orange muffin.  You could use fresh cranberries- before stockpiling them in the freezer, or, if using frozen, take them out to thaw slightly before adding them to the batter.  That way the batter won’t become a frozen lump as you try to spoon it into the muffin tins. Brown Sugar Pecan Crumble Topping: 1/4 C oatmeal 1/4 C all-purpose flour 1/4 C pecans, finely chopped 3 Tbsp. brown sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/8 tsp. salt 3 Tbsp. melted butter Muffin Batter: 1 C sifted all-purpose flour 1 C whole wheat flour 1 C sugar 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. salt  2 tsp. orange zest 1/4 C butter 3/4 C orange juice 1 egg, well beaten 1 C chopped pecans 1-1/2 C whole cranberries  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Make the crumble first: mix all ingredients with a fork until it looks like coarse sand.  Set aside the topping.   For the batter, mix all of the dry ingredients and the zest for the muffin batter together.  Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.  Add in the beaten egg and the orange juice all at once.  Next, add the whole cranberries and nuts to the mix.  Mix to blend, but do NOT beat.  You do not want to over-mix the batter or they will be tough.   Spoon the batter into 12 muffin tins prepared with muffin papers or sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  Divide the crumble topping evenly over the top of the batter, and push down slightly.  Bake in the preheated oven for about 28-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Optional: You could also spread the batter into one bread pan and make into a loaf (cook 50 - 60 minutes).