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Home » Recipes » Cranberry-Pistachio Cupcakes

Cranberry-Pistachio Cupcakes

December 1, 2015 by Faith 9 Comments

These Cranberry-Pistachio Cupcakes are sweetly aromatic and soft-textured; from start-to-finish they’ll be ready in just an hour, and it’s perfect if you want just a small batch of something sweet.

Cranberry-Pistachio Cupcakes 1

This time of year has the tendency to get so busy. With Thanksgiving over, our focus turns to Christmas and all the preparation that goes along with it.

But a moment of peace, however brief, is a most welcome retreat in December. Even if it’s just taking an hour to make these cupcakes and then enjoying one with a cup of tea. I can’t think of anything more comforting than the smell of something sweet baking on a chilly afternoon in December, especially if snow is softly falling.

Cranberry-Pistachio Cupcakes 2

As with so many of my baked goods – particularly baked goods where I feature the flavors of cranberry, cherry, or almond – mahlab plays a role in these cupcakes. (If you’re interested, I talk more about mahlab in my post on Cherry Sauce.) Mahlab helps make these cupcakes sweetly aromatic and adds a special unique touch that people will know is in there, but won’t be able to put their finger on what exactly it is. If you can’t find mahlab, you can add 1/2 teaspoon or so of pure almond extract instead, for a somewhat similar flavor.

Cranberry-Pistachio Cupcakes 3

These cupcakes are soft-textured and moist; they’re sweet, but the tart bursts of fresh cranberry add balance. Although they have a very muffin-like look to them, their flavor is much more cake-like than their appearance lets on.

Cranberry-Pistachio Cupcakes 4

These cupcakes are perfect for an afternoon getaway in the midst of life’s chaos. Enjoy them with someone you love.

Cranberry-Pistachio Cupcakes 5

Print
Cranberry-Pistachio Cupcakes
Prep time:  30 mins
Cook time:  30 mins
Total time:  1 hour
Yield: 6 cupcakes
 
These Cranberry-Pistachio Cupcakes are sweetly aromatic and soft-textured; from start-to-finish they’ll be ready in just an hour, and it’s perfect if you want just a small batch of something sweet.
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
  • ¾ cup (150 g) sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) avocado oil or light olive oil
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) milk
  • ¼ cup (60 g) sour cream or Greek yogurt
  • 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1¼ cups (160 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1¼ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon fine salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground mahlab
  • ½ cup (55 g) whole fresh cranberries, chopped
  • ¼ cup (30 g) unsalted pistachios, chopped
Glaze:
  • ⅔ cup (77 g) powdered sugar
  • ⅛ teaspoon pure almond extract
  • 1 pinch fine salt
  • 2-3 teaspoons water (more or less as needed)
Other:
  • Butter and flour, for the muffin tray
  • Fresh cranberries and/or chopped unsalted pistachios, for topping
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F; butter and flour 6 wells in a regular-sized muffin tray (or line them with paper liners).
  2. Whisk together the sugar, egg, oil, milk, sour cream, and vanilla. Sift in the flour, baking powder, salt, and mahlab, and stir to combine. Fold in the cranberries and pistachios.
  3. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tray (they’ll be really full). Bake until a toothpick inserted inside comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
  4. Cool for 10 minutes in the tray, and then carefully remove the cupcakes and let them finish cooling on a wire rack.
  5. Once cooled, mix together all ingredients for the glaze in a small bowl, adding the water a little at a time until your desired consistency is reached.
  6. Spread the glaze on top of the cupcakes and immediately decorate with cranberries and/or pistachios if desired.
3.3.3070

Here are a few of my favorite baked goods that also feature cranberry and mahlab…

Cranberry-Pecan Loaf {Paleo}

Cranberry-Pecan Loaf {Paleo}

Cranberry-Chocolate-Almond Thumbprint Cookies

Cranberry-Chocolate-Almond Thumbprint Cookies

Cranberry-Almond Scones

Cranberry-Almond Scones

Related

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged: Baking, Cake, Christmas, Cranberry, Cupcakes, Dessert, Festive, Holidays, Mahlab, Pistachio, Recipes

Comments

  1. Rosa says

    December 1, 2015 at 8:39 am

    Heavenly cupcakes!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    Reply
  2. Kacey @ The Cookie Writer says

    December 1, 2015 at 9:03 am

    Okay, these look and sound amazing! My husband usually gets a bag of pistachios for Christmas, so I know when I can make these! I really wish I had one right now!

    Reply
  3. [email protected] says

    December 1, 2015 at 9:13 am

    These are such pretty cupcakes, Faith. I’m going to look for Mahlab, it sounds like a lovely addition to desserts.

    Reply
  4. Renee - Kudos Kitchen says

    December 1, 2015 at 5:35 pm

    I’ve never before heard of mahlab before, but I’ll be on the look out for it now. I love almond extract so I know I would love it too. I also would have never thought of using avocado oil in a sweet cupcake, but why not? I love it too and it makes these cupcakes healthy :)

    Reply
  5. Lauren @ Healthy Delicious says

    December 1, 2015 at 7:59 pm

    These look so dainty and perfect!

    Reply
  6. Laura (Tutti Dolci) says

    December 2, 2015 at 2:05 am

    Such pretty and festive cupcakes for the season!

    Reply
  7. Nancy | The Bitter Side of Sweet says

    December 2, 2015 at 11:20 am

    I would love to have some peace to make these! Maybe after my move! The flavors are great!

    Reply
  8. Cookin Canuck says

    December 2, 2015 at 12:55 pm

    My daily cup of tea is always a time to sit back and relax for a few minutes – absolutely necessary during the holidays, as you said. These cupcakes would be the perfect treat to go with my tea!

    Reply
  9. CakeSpy says

    February 22, 2016 at 8:43 am

    I love pistachio – these cupcakes look perfect! And so festive.

    Reply

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Hello! I’m Faith and I write An Edible Mosaic. This is my recipe collection of international favorites and updated American classics, with an emphasis on seasonal dishes. I focus on real foods that sustain body and mind, bring people together, and make a house a home. Welcome to my mosaic of recipes.

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I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to email me with questions or comments.

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anediblemosaic

❄️Buffalo-born + raised
☀️Florida-based
🍴Food✈️Travel📝Musings
📷Food stylist + photographer
📚Cookbook author
✨Lover of vintage things + good coffee

Instagram post 2195848590159668337_193133428 When my ex-husband and I were first married there was a time when we had literally no money. We were living in Amman, Jordan at the time. We had a single can of tuna to eat and not even a can opener to open it. I was a baby, still in law school, and he was also a student. I remember being so ridiculously happy though, laughing as he used a knife to pry the can of tuna open. (And that was the best can of tuna I've ever tasted, lol!) We ended up going to stay with his family in Damascus, Syria. . One of the memories that sticks out to me most from my time in Damascus is a taxi ride home. We had been at the market all afternoon and it was rush hour. Taxis were full and it was a very long walk home. . Finally we were able to hail a taxi, and the driver asked if it was ok that his daughter was asleep in the backseat. My ex took the front seat and I got in the back. The little girl, about 2 years old, lifted her blonde curly head inquisitively, looked at me with big blue eyes, smiled sleepily, and nestled her head into my lap. . On the way home they chatted in the front seat (in Arabic, so I only picked up bits and pieces of the conversation), and it was only later that Mike told me the taxi driver had several kids and was having trouble making ends meet. . The driver refused to take money for the ride home, saying I was a guest in their country. And not only that, but he invited us to his home for lunch (lunch in the Middle East means a spread of no less than 10 homemade dishes; it's an ordeal, and it's how you show respect and honor to a guest). That level of hospitality is so unprecedented and unwarranted, and completely humbling to me. . Two things I learned from that: 1) happiness is a choice that has absolutely nothing to do with circumstances and 2) you don't need to have extra to share with someone else. I'm convinced that in the end, #kindness is the only thing that means anything. ❤️ . Slide 1) Mini Pistachio Rose Layer Cake with Honeyed Buttercream that I made for a project I made as a dedication to Syria (search "to syria with love" on An Edible Mosaic for details). Slide 2) A street in Yarmouk, a Palestinian refugee camp outside Damascus.
Instagram post 2195361354315207227_193133428 Bc this girl’s friends know her favs. 💁🏼‍♀️ #whiteroses #mondaymood #alltheflowers #prettythings
Instagram post 2191875618324833933_193133428 It’s tradition. @laraclevenger and I meet up, we have way too much fun working, and we eat allll the Indian food. 🙃 #lovemyjob #indianfood #shotoniphone
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Instagram post 2188013014389581388_193133428 When you want alllll the cranberry bliss, but without the gluten or loads of sugar. 🙌🏻 Inspired by Starbucks cranberry bliss bars, my #paleo cranberry bliss cake is an oldie but a goodie on my other website #HealthySweetEats! It's festive and perfect for a weekend holiday baking project. ❤️ . . https://www.healthysweeteats.com/cranberry-bliss-cake-inspired-by-starbucks-cranberry-bliss-bars/ . . #glutenfree #starbuckscopycat #bakingseason #holidaybaking #f52grams #f52food #thekitchn #makesmewhole @thefeedfeed #feedfeed #cranberrybliss #cranberryblissbar #beautifulcuisines #hautecuisines #huffposttaste #yahoofood #bhgfood #eeeeeats #holidayfood #festivefood #happyfriday
Instagram post 2186463100185874499_193133428 Like velvet. 🧡 . . Swirls of Butternut Squash Puree with Fontina Cheese, Fresh Thyme, and Brown Butter, and there are no words. 😭🤯🤩🤤 Search "butternut puree" on An Edible Mosaic for the recipe --> https://www.anediblemosaic.com/butternut-squash-puree-with-fontina-cheese-fresh-thyme-and-brown-butter/ . . #thanksgiving2019 #thanksgiving #thanksgivingdinner #sidedish #f52grams #f52food #makesmewhole @thefeedfeed #feedfeed #eatyourveggies #beautifulcuisines #foodstyling #foodphotography #onmytable #eeeeeats
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