Have you ever bit into a crisp, moist muffin and felt that heavenly embrace? The one thing that makes that feeling better is when they are Christmas muffins. Everyone loves holiday baking and Christmas muffins are no exception. Family gatherings across the city will no doubt have freshly baked treats on their Christmas dinner menus. From crunchy cranberry to berry blast, there are endless flavour possibilities. Muffins are also seen as a somewhat healthier alternative to Christmas cookies and cakes. My extended family always goes all out in the holiday baking department. Below are two of my favourite Christmas muffin recipes.
Berry Blast Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients
1/2 cup of butter
1 cup of white sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 eggs
2 cups of white flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 cup of buttermilk
1 pint or small container of blueberries
2 tablespoons of white sugar
Directions
Even people who aren't the biggest fans of muffins could go for a fresh blueberry muffin. This recipe will give you a dozen berry loaded, baked treats. To get started preheat your oven to 375 F. Spray the top of a muffin pan with non-stick coating such as Pam. Then proceed to line each muffin slot with paper liners. In a large bowl cream together the butter, 1 cup of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt until smooth and fluffy. Proceed to beat in the eggs one at a time. Then mix the 2 cups of flour with the baking powder. Beat in this mixture with the muffin batter. Once the batter thickens add in the 1/2 cup of buttermilk gradually. Crush the blueberries and mix them into the batter. Once the blueberries have been added and mixed well proceed to scoop the batter into the muffin cups. Bake for 30 minutes or until muffins are golden brown. Cool and enjoy.
Crazy Cranberry Muffins
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups of white flour
3 teaspoons of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup of white sugar
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
1 egg, beaten
1 cup of orange juice
2 cups of chopped cranberries
Directions
How do you turn on ordinary, plain muffin into something exciting? You add cranberries of course. These muffins are perfect for the holiday season and will no doubt get a round of applause from the entire family. To begin, preheat your oven to 400 F. Grease your muffin pan and then proceed to add in muffin liners in each of the muffin cups. In a large bowl sift together the flour, salt and baking powder. In a separate bowl beat the oil and sugar together until the mixture becomes light and silky. Add the egg and orange juice into this mixture and beat until smooth. Then proceed to combine the flour mixture with the oil mixture. Stir well and fold in the chopped cranberries. For a more intense flavour add another cup of chopped cranberries. Proceed to scoop the batter into the muffin pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool and enjoy!
This holiday season whip out your oven mitts and get baking. These muffin recipes are relatively easy to make and are perfect for bringing to Christmas gatherings. Whether your a berry blast fan or would rather go the cranberry route your sure to enjoy the holiday season that much more with these golden recipes.