Cranberry-Pecan Muffins

From America's Test Kitchen Season 12: Rise and Shine Breakfast

Cranberry-nut muffins can make a quick and hearty breakfast, but all too often they are dense and leaden, with an overwhelming sour berry flavor and soggy nuts distributed haphazardly throughout. We wanted a moist, substantial muffin accented—not overtaken—by tart cranberries and toasted, crunchy nuts. Mixing the batter by hand was quick and gave our muffin enough structure to accommodate the fruit and nuts. Grinding the nuts and using them in place of some of the flour added complexity; to compensate for the smaller amount of gluten, we let the batter rest. Chopping the berries and tossing them with a little sugar toned down their tartness. Finally, a streusel topping added back the crunch lost from grinding up the nuts.