Cranberry Harvest Muffins, Minus the Cranberries

I made the cranberry harvest muffins over the Thanksgiving weekend.  I thought they sounded Thanksgiving-y, because the recipe called for cranberries.  This recipe was really easy, the only part that took some time was roasting and shelling the hazlenuts.  Hazlenuts aren't too easy to shell, but it's definitely easier after they've been roasted. 

Figs were impossible to find in Krogers, but I was able to find dried figs from Whole Foods.  This recipe was really quick to put together and I appreciated that I didn't have to use the mixer.  My only problem was that I realized I'd completely forgotten to add the cranberries to the recipe until when the muffins were already baking in the oven.  I wondered why the recipe didn't seem to make as many muffins as Ina had estimated, and this explained it.

The muffins were a hit with the family.  They were really tasty, but I think they would have been better with the cranberries.  I think this is a recipe I'll repeat around holiday time (and other times too). 

Here are some of the finished muffins. Yum!