Buckwheat Cranberry Muffins

I remember my grandmother loving buckwheat pancakes.  She kept trying to get us grandkids to like them, but we ranged from ambivalent to adverse.  I haven't thought too much about buckwheat since then, but since it is a gluten-free flour (despite its threatening-sounding name -- at least for those with wheat intolerance), I thought I'd give this recipe a try and see if I liked buckwheat any better now than when I was a kid (I was the ambivalent one).  The answer is no, I'm still ambivalent.  But in case you're someone who loves buckwheat, these really are good muffins that I think you'll enjoy. 

Buckwheat Cranberry Muffins

1-1/3 Cups dried cranberries
3/4 Cup sugar, divided
3 Tbsp fresh orange juice
1 Cup gluten-free flour mix
1 Cup buckwheat flour
1 tsp xanthan gum
1-1/2 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 Cup buttermilk

Combine cranberries with 1/2 Cup of the sugar and the orange juice in a bowl.  Let stand 30 minutes.  Beat the eggs with the melted butter until smooth.  Stir in the cranberries with all their liquid.  Add the flours, remaining sugar and rest of dry ingredients.  Stir in enough buttermilk to make a soft batter.  Grease or spray muffin tin.  Fill cups 3/4 full.  Bake at 375 until firm and golden brown, about 15 minutes.  Cool for 10 minutes before removing from tin.  Makes 12-14 muffins.