Summer Mango Muffins

My last visit to Costco, which was about two years ago, came to over $200.00 and all I wanted was to pick up double prints. YIKES! How did all that stuff get into my oversized shopping cart? I never renewed my card. The best Costco products are actually outside, the hot dogs, the cardboard pizza, and that sticky sweet soft-serve swirl ice cream cone. With a relatively small household, we no longer have the need for mass quantities of goods. But Michael and Lauren are taking their relationship to another level---doing Costco shopping together! They really did pretty well, and one of the benefits of their adventure was bringing home a case of mangos. These mangos are juicy and full of flavor. We did the usual smoothies and fruit salads. I'm doing a salsa for a roasted pork butt tomorrow. But I took these sweet mangos to another level and came up with some lovely muffins, adapted from a recipe by Curtis Aikens. Moist and delicious, and with some dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds, they are great with a cup of coffee on these cool mornings.
Many thanks to Michael & Lauren for the mangos!

SUMMER MANGO MUFFINS - adapted from FoodTV Curtis Aikens
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar, if needed
1/2 unsalted butter, room temp
2 large eggs
1 cup fresh mangos, peeled, pitted and mashed
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds or diced nuts, your call
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup King Arthur unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup King Arthur white whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease a 12-cup muffin tin or coat with a non-stick spray. Check the mangos for sweetness, and leave out the 1/4 cup granulated sugar if the mangos are sweet enough. Cream the butter and sugar till light in color. Add the eggs and beat until fluffy. Add in the mashed up mangos, seeds, cranberries and mix till combined. Sift together the dry ingredients and add to the mango mixture, stirring by hand. Do not overmix. Fill each of the muffin tin cups 2/3 full. Bake for 25 minutes or till muffin springs back when touched. Let cool for 10 minutes in muffin tin, then remove to cooling rack.
Makes 12 muffins.
Note: Mix the muffin batter and refrigerate overnight to bake them in the early morning. The cranberries become softer and the spices will blend together nicely.