Wouldn’t it be a dream waking up to fresh-baked seasonal muffins on Christmas morning? Well, Scottsdale-based Perk Eatery’s Pauline Martinez has whipped up two festive muffin recipes that would make for a lovely, laidback holiday breakfast.
Cranberry-Eggnog Muffins
Cooking spray
1 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped
1/2 cup rum or apple juice
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups eggnog
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For the Topping:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
Prepare the muffins: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Mist a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray. Warm the cranberries and rum in a small saucepan over medium heat, then remove from the heat and let steep 5 minutes. Drain. Whisk the flour, baking powder, brown sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk the butter, eggnog, eggs and vanilla in another bowl. Gently fold into the flour mixture. (The batter will be lumpy; do not overmix.) Fold in the cranberries. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Make the topping: Mix the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, butter, salt and brown sugar in a bowl with your fingertips until it looks like wet sand. Sprinkle generously over the batter.
Gingerbread Muffins
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup mild-flavored light molasses
1 1/3 cups cold water
Lemon glaze
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
For gingerbread muffins: Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter 16 standard (1/3-cup) muffin cups. Whisk flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat unsalted butter and sugar in large bowl to blend. Add large eggs and beat to blend. Beat in light molasses. Add half of dry ingredients, beating until blended. Beat in remaining dry ingredients. Gradually add 1 1/3 cups cold water and beat until incorporated. Divide batter equally among 16 prepared muffin cups. Bake gingerbread until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool 10 minutes. Remove muffins from pan and place on rack over sheet of foil. For lemon glaze: Whisk powdered sugar and lemon juice in small bowl until smooth. Spoon lemon glaze over tops of warm muffins, using about 1 tablespoon glaze for each. Serve muffins warm with whipped cream, if desired, or at room temperature.
Recipes: Christmas Muffins
