Merry Christmas, everyone! I was trying to remember Christmas 2011, the last time December 25 fell on a Sunday, but can't seem to remember anything about it. It feels so weird. Do you celebrate on Sunday or Monday? Or do you do something on both days? We did dinner and gifts yesterday (Sunday) for the simple reason that my mother refuses to cook more than once per week. Today we'll enjoy leftovers and maybe a babka, if I can get my act together. Getting my act together has not been the easiest. My birthday was two weeks ago and I still have not finished baking my birthday cake. Maybe that's what I need to work on tomorrow? No, Tuesday is also a holiday (Boxing Day) so I think I'll do it then. Maybe. Well, if I'm turning on the oven for babka, I should just do the other layers of the cake too. Makes more sense - especially since gas may finish any day now. I think it's waiting until next Saturday night to finish. Stores will be closed until Tuesday. Perfect timing.
But forget cakes - I'll get into why I have not been baking cakes when I finally return to Bundt Bakers. Now, it's time for muffins. I thought I'd add some dried fruit and make this month's muffins a bit seasonal. I know, I know. I mentioned that I don't like dried fruit. I still don't but here's what happened. I baked this year's Christmas fruit cakes and as I was baking, I thought, well, why not try them in a muffin? I know I probably still won't like them but I keep trying. Also, my friend's wedding cake was a light fruit cake instead of the heavy black stuff and it was AMAZING. Had I known how delicious it was going to be, I would have gotten two more slices. I need to be there on the first anniversary when they cut into the top tier. Right now there's a tiny piece in my freezer and I'm treating it like fine wine - waiting for a special moment to enjoy it. Yes, it was that good. I don't remember now if the wedding cake had the dreaded mixed peel. But I theorized that maybe in muffin form and with much less fruit involved, I could tolerate stuff. After all, I only recently started being OK with raisins. I just kept eating them until they didn't bother me anymore.
I loved the muffins! Dried fruit and all. I didn't use a ton of fruit so the ratio of muffin to fruit is so that I could bite into a muffin and not have to deal with an entire mouthful of fruit. Two thumbs up for fruit cake in muffin form. Next I'll try some of the blended fruit that I used in the fruit cakes. I'm not sure if I will like them. I won't have to bite into any fruit at all but then the flavour will be better distributed in the muffins. Tricky.
As always, scroll down to see what the other bakers whipped up this month!
Fruitcake Muffins
Ingredients
1 cup dried fruit (soak overnight in rum or orange juice)
2 1/4 cups flour
2/3 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2/3 cups milk
1/2 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a muffin tin or line it with cupcake wrappers.
Drain the fruit and set aside.
In a bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. In a separate container, whisk together the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla.
Gently add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing until barely combined and there are streaks of flour remaining. Fold in the dried fruit.
Divide among the 12 muffin wells.
Bake for 15- 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.
- Bacon Muffins from A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Blueberry Corn Muffins from Palatable Pastime
- Cheddar Muffins from Karen's Kitchen Stories
- Fruitcake Muffins from Passion Kneaded
- Maque Choux Cornbread Muffins from Food Lust People Love
#MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins. You can see all our of lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board.
Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday, can be found on our home page.
I love that you kept persevering, Kelly! I soak my fruit for Christmas pudding in rum AND orange juice and that really helps it be less offensive. I know I'd love your muffins!
ReplyDeleteI don't care for the peel either. Or fruit cake, but I do like panettone or stollen if there's just dried fruit. These sound just right!
ReplyDeleteWorking with candied fruit can be a problem for me too. I find that adding other flavors helps combat the overwhelming flavor of...how shall we describe it? "fruit cake" I did some fruit cake bars this year and they were fabulous but I am giving all the credit of that to the Lyle's golden syrup I used. I am quite sold on it. I think your muffins work because there isn't so much of the fruit- it can be good, but needs to be controlled like a wild beast.
ReplyDeleteYou always make my smile Kelly. I hope your Christmas was wonderful. Happy Boxing Day.
ReplyDeleteFruitcake muffins for #MuffinMonday bring a delightful twist to a classic spice. Nolag VPNs Advantages These muffins capture the essence of traditional fruitcake in a convenient and portable form.
ReplyDelete