“Gingerbread Muffins” from a Billet Mom’s Kitchen

February 17, 2018 0 0

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I always liked Gingerbread Cake with Lemon Sauce and of course those adorable gingerbread cookies. The cake was a real treat especially served warm with the sauce poured over it. As kids we had so much fun putting faces on our cookies. Today I just make my gingerbread into muffins to make them easier to eat. With a cup of coffee on a cold winter’s day there isn’t anything I like better.

This recipe is a combination of several recipes that I have perfected over the years. These muffins are very moist and full of ginger flavour. When you are baking these your whole house will smell of gingerbread.

“Gingerbread Muffins” Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1 large egg

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup to 3/4 cup buttermilk

3/4 cup molasses

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 1/4 cups raisins

“Gingerbread Muffins” Directions

Preheat oven to 350º F. Grease muffins tins generously or use liners.
Combine flour, salt, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
In another bowl whisk together the brown sugar, egg, sour cream, buttermilk, molasses and melted butter. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Do not over mix, batter will be lumpy. Stir in raisins.
Fill muffin liners 3/4 full. Bake 20 – 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

“Gingerbread Muffins” Notes and Tips

Use lemon yogurt instead of plain.
Dust the tops with icing sugar.
Adjust spices to your taste. I like cinnamon and ginger but if you don’t like as much decrease each by 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon.
Make a lemon sauce and serve it on the side with your muffin. Here is my lemon sauce recipe that I have used for many different recipes that call for lemon sauce.

LEMON SAUCE RECIPE: In a saucepan put 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. Slowly stir in 1 cup boiling water and simmer over low heat until thick, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in 1 Tablespoon of butter, 1 teaspoon of lemon grated lemon and the juice from one lemon.

Make a lemon curd and use as a filling for your muffin. Make sure your muffins are cooled before filling. Fill a piping bag with lemon curd. Insert piping tip into center of muffin and pull out as you fill muffin.

LEMON CURD RECIPE: DIRECTIONS: 3 Tablespoons butter, softened, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk, 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice and the zest of one lemon. Cream together the butter and sugar, mix in the eggs and lemon juice. Mixture will look like it is curdled. Put mixture into a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat. Do not boil. Stir constantly and continue to stir until the mixture becomes thick. Approximately 10 – 15 minutes. Remove from the heat when it becomes thick and creamy and stir in the lemon zest. Transfer to a heat safe bowl, cover the top with plastic wrap, and put in the refrigerator until cooled. Fill your muffins.

Glaze your muffins with a lemon glaze. Poke holes in the top of your muffins with a fork or a toothpick. A fork is quicker. Spoon glace over the top of your muffins.

LEMON GLAZE. Mix together 1/4 cup icing sugar and 2 Tablespoons lemon juice. Spread on top of muffins. I have also made the following glace which I really like by using 1/4 cup white sugar and 1/3 cup lemon juice plus 1/2 teaspoon of grated lemon zest. Cook until sugar is dissolved.