Gingerbread Muffins
It's the most wonderful time of the year! One of the best things about the holidays is ths smells of cinnamon and gingerbread wafting through the house as you bake. And I can promise you, the following recipe is enough to make your house smell cozy and festive, just like all of us holiday lovers enjoy it.
I got my Christmas tree up this weekend! The lights are up outside, the ornaments hung, and the stockings placed on the mantle. I'm listening to Christmas music as I write this! (Pentatonix Christmas Album is the best ever...check it out if you haven't already.) My point; it's time for some Christmas baking.
Gingerbread is going wild. It's in cookies, its in loaves, it's even in lattes, for God's sake. So what do you think this muffin is about? That's right, gingerbread. Cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger of course. All the iconic spices of the holidays.
I dusted these with powdered sugar because it's just a simple thing to do, but you could also top them with pecans or even a crumble mixture before baking. I find these muffins best fresh from the oven because they have that nice, crisp shell on top, but if you can't get to them on the first day that's fine. They'll still be delicious.
So here's the recipe!
INGREDIENTS
1 banana
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup canola oil
1/3 cup molasses (maple syrup is a good substitute if you don't have this handy)
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a muffin tin with 12 paper cases or grease liberally.
2. Mash banana and egg until smooth (You can use a blender if you prefer.)
3. Stir in vanilla, spices, and sugars until combined.
4. Gently fold in flour, baking powder, and baking soda just until combined. Distribute the batter evenly between muffin cups.
5. Bake for 10 minutes at 400F. Turn oven temperature down to 375F, rotate pan, and bake for roughly 10 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool in muffin cups for 5 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
