Mary Bilyeu, Contributor

Sunday mornings, in my opinion, are an ideal time to bake.

And usually I find I want to bake something breakfast-y, since I actually have the luxury of time to loiter in my jammies without having to rush anywhere. I can sip a second cup of coffee, and then enjoy a warm, freshly baked treat along with it.

These muffins are full of nutritious whole grains, but don't present themselves as being terribly virtuous. Moist and delicious, they are exceptional at any time of day but ideal for a lazy weekend morning.

The sweet-tartness of the marmalade butter offers brightness in both color and flavor... a perfect complement to a weekend treat.

Cranberry Bran Muffins with Orange Marmalade Butter

Muffins:

1 cup bran flakes
1/2 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup oil
1 large egg
1/3 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with 8 paper liners.

In a large bowl, combine the bran flakes and buttermilk; let soak for 5 minutes. Stir in the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and brown sugar. Combine the honey, oil and eggs; stir into the dry ingredients. Stir in the cranberries.

Divide the batter among the paper liners, and bake for 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool on a rack.

Butter:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 tablespoons orange marmalade

Combine the butter and the marmalade. Serve along with the muffins.

Makes 8 muffins and 1/4 cup butter.

Mary Bilyeu has won or placed in more than 60 cooking contests and writes about her adventures in the kitchen. She was thrilled to have her post about Scottish Oatmeal Shortbread named as one of the daily "Best of the Blogs" by the prestigious Food News Journal.

Go visit Mary's blog — Food Floozie — on which she enthuses and effuses over all things food-related. Her newest feature is Frugal Floozie Friday, seeking fun and food for $5 or less ... really! Feel free to email her with questions or comments or suggestions: yentamary@gmail.com.

The phrase "You Should Only Be Happy" (written in Hebrew on the stone pictured in this post) comes from Deuteronomy 16:15 and is a wish for all her readers as they cook along with her ... may you always be happy here.