Cynthia's Gluten-Free Cranberry Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped raw cranberries
• ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons Bette's Gourmet Four Flour Blend
• 2 tablespoons Montina Pure Baking Supplement
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• ¼ cup nonhydrogenated vegetable shortening, melted
• 1 small overripe banana, mashed
• ½ cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a muffin pan with 12 large or 16 medium cups.

Stir together the cranberries and ½ cup sugar. In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour blend, measure, and resift with Montina Pure, baking powder, salt, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and xanthan gum. In another mixing bowl, beat the egg, and then beat in the milk and melted shortening. Add the egg mixture all at once to the dry ingredients, and stir quickly until the flour is just dampened; the batter will not be smooth. With the last few stirs, fold in the cranberries, banana, and nuts, if desired.

Quickly spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling each two-thirds full. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until the muffin pulls away from the pan slightly. Serve hot.

Makes 12 large or 16 medium muffins