G is for Gingerbread

Another Holiday Weekend Special at the Reindeer Bar

Gingerbread Muffins

Cook's Notes: A moist, flavorful muffin that bursts with holiday spice, and a hint of lemon to make a hearty delicious winter breakfast treat.
Muffin Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon Saigon cinnamon or 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• Dash ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup molasses, unsulphured-mild flavor
• 1 cup buttermilk
• Topping options: 1/4 cup sugar mixed with 1 tsp. cinnamon or Sprinkles (crystallized sugar found in the baking section at Michaels)
• 

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, grated lemon and spices in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.
• Add in the eggs one at a time, beating in between.
• Beat in the molasses.
• Add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Don't over beat.
• Spoon the batter into 12 muffin cups, lightly greased or lined with muffin papers.
• Sprinkle with a little cinnamon mixed with sugar on top of each muffin before baking or use a product from Wilton called Sprinkles pictured above.
• Bake for about 16-17  minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Add a few more Sprinkles while warm.
• Cool for a few minutes in the pan and then turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
  
  Other gingerbread treats available this weekend 

Gingerbread Cookie Bars

https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2021/12/gingerbread-cookie-bars.html

Gingerbread Snowball Crinkle Cookies

https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2020/12/cookie-blitz-day-four-wrap-up.html

Stout Guinness Gingerbread Cake 

https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2014/09/more-travels-with-blue-vase.html

My daughter teaches first grade. Making, decorating, and baking a large gingerbread man is an annual class activity. You can make one at home using two boxes of gingerbread mix and adding a variety of toppings.

The class had such a good time making one large gingerbread man and decorating it with all sorts of candies, cereals, and raisins. The cooks baked it in the kitchen and the gingerbread man was enjoyed as an afternoon snack. 

If you decide to use a prepared mix rather than homemade cookie dough I would suggest using Betty Crocker Gingerbread Cookie Mix. It took two boxes to make one large gingerbread pictured above.  

A class favorite enjoyed after the baking session.