Cinnamon Yogurt Muffins with Cinnamon Crumble #MuffinMonday

Yogurt adds subtle fruity flavor to this cinnamon muffin and the generous crumble is the perfect topping. 

Happy Little Christmas Eve!  And, no, that is not a holiday I just made up.  Many years ago, we were living in Balikpapan, Indonesia and our neighbor was a lovely Norwegian lady named Turid.  She was a career diplomat and had been working most recently in the embassy in Jakarta so her Indonesian was superb.  It’s not a hard language to master for everyday “market” conversation but at a business and diplomatic level, it gets much more complicated.  She had retired young to raise her daughter and had moved to Balikpapan with her husband who was working there.  Turid kindly offered to give me Indonesian lessons and, under her tutelage, I got pretty good too.  But the best part was that I also made a friend.

On December 23, she invited our family over for Lille Julaften or Little Christmas Eve, a special Norwegian celebration.  I don’t  remember the names of all the traditional cookies and cakes and dishes but everything was homemade and wonderful.  And I do recall that there was a lot of wine and beer involved.  And aquavit.  That stuff is trouble.  My advice for today is just say no to the aquavit but have a very happy Little Christmas Eve!  And perhaps bake some cinnamon yogurt muffins.

Ingredients
For the muffin batter:
2 cups or 250g all purpose flour
1/2 cup or 100g sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 cup or 60ml milk
3/4 cup or 185g fruit yogurt of your choice (I used raspberry.)
1/2 cup or 120ml canola or other light oil
1 large egg

For the crumble:
1/4 cup or 60g butter
1/2 cup or 100g dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup or 30g flour
Pinch salt

Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C and prepare your muffin pan by greasing it or lining it paper muffin cups.

Start by making your crumble.  Put all of your crumble ingredients into a small bowl and use a pastry blender to cut them into each other until you have a sort of lumpy sandy mixture.  Set aside.

You should still have some small bits of butter visible. 

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, the sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

In another bowl, whisk together the milk, yogurt, oil and egg.

Pour your wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold them together until just mixed.

Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups and top each with a generous helping of the crumble.

Bake in the preheated oven about 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Cool on a rack for a few minutes and then remove the muffins to cool completely.

Enjoy!   And since this will likely be my last post before Christmas Day, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

Roasted Chestnuts

Roasted chestnuts are easy to make at home, on the barbecue pit or in the oven. Either way, the chestnuts are succulently delicious. Give them a try!

Okay, first let me say that this isn’t even a recipe.  Just a method.  And I debated with myself a few hundred times after adding it to the list of Sunday Supper posts because Sunday Supper is all about bringing folks back around the family dinner table with good food and I wasn’t sure this qualified.   Our theme this week, hosted by the lovely Tammi of Momma’s Meals, is food inspired by holiday songs or movies.  Mine is, of course, The Christmas Song.

I roasted the first group of chestnuts over coals at a friend’s house, and they were good but, frankly, we were all full from a good grilled lunch and enthusiasm was low for a snack.  So, on the verge of removing my name from the Sunday Supper list a couple of weeks later, I roasted the second set, albeit in the oven.  I opened the foil packet of the roasted nuts and the steam came up in small swirls from their peeling brown husks.  As I worked the hard shell off, then the softer inner shell, I popped that first sweet piece of chestnut into my mouth and, well, I made up my mind.  A method is enough.  Let me take you back.

It was late fall of 1985 and New York City was already bitterly cold.  There’s a special smell about the city in the winter.  Steamy, almost fetid air gusts from tunnels and drains below the streets, the faint eau-de-mothball drifting off the citizens, the exhaust fumes hanging low, trapped by the heavy cold atmosphere, and the chestnuts roasting over coals in big metal barrels.  

We had arrived on a red-eye from Houston, to visit my father who was living an hour’s train ride north of the city in the bedroom community of Bronxville. The goal:  Ordering my wedding dress. Those of you who have watched Say Yes to the Dress will recognize the name Kleinfeld, the Brooklyn shop where brides have been buying dresses since 1941. Well, that's where I went to get this little number.

You can't even see how huge these sleeves are here!  And the train was six feet long.

The entire weekend was a whirlwind of action and excitement but one of my fondest memories is warming my hands around the warm brown paper bags full of roasted chestnuts, bought off a street corner vendor in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city. And if you haven’t tried roasted chestnuts, you just need to. 

There are tons of recipes on the internet using roasted chestnuts, ranging from soup to stuffing to salad, but I’d like to encourage you to peel them and pop them straight into your mouth, and savor the sweet nutmeat of winter with your family.

Ingredients
1 pound or 1/2 kilo of fresh chestnuts

Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C.  Or light coals in your barbecue pit.  The fire is ready when the coals are all grey around the outside.)

Cut a crisscross in the rounded side of each chestnut with the tip of a very sharp knife.

Wrap the chestnuts in a double layer of foil, cut side up.

Roast for around 35-40 minutes in the preheated oven or in your barbecue pit.  If using the pit, set the foil packet off to one side, not directly over the hot coals and put the lid on enough to keep in the heat without smothering the fire.

Remove from the oven or barbecue pit and carefully open the foil.  Allow the chestnuts to cool enough to handle and then peel and eat!

Meanwhile, at our house, we are dancing to Christmas music, decorating a tree and celebrating a 23rd birthday today.  Happy birthday to my precious Victoria!

Woo hoo for almost Christmas birthdays! 

This is such a fun Sunday Supper week!  Check out all the songs and movies that have inspired us to cook and bake all these great dishes!

Party Appetizers & Snacks

Oven-Roasted Applesauce Scented with Rosemary & Vanilla inspired by the song “Christmas in the Trenches”- Shockingly Delicious
Roasted Chestnuts inspired by the song “The Christmas Song” – Food Lust People Love
A Popcorn Trio inspired by the song “Let it Snow” - Hot Momma’s Kitchen Chaos
Chai Tea Abominable Snow Buddies inspired by the movie “Rudolph” – Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Raisin Bran Muffins for a Crowd inspired by the movie “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” - In The Kitchen With Audrey and Maurene
Icicle Candy and Reindeer Snacks inspired by the movie “Snow” – Treats & Trinkets
A Christmas Carol Plum Pudding inspired by the movie “A Christmas Carol” – No One Likes Crumbley Cookies
Yukon Mashed Potato Cakes inspired by the movie “Rudolph” - Cookin’ Mimi
Christmas Pudding inspired by the song “Over the River and Through the Woods” - A Kitchen Hoor
Pumpkin Pudding inspired by the movie “Nightmare Before Christmas” - Basic N Delicious
Elf-Inspired Christmas “Grams” inspired by the movie “Elf” - MarocMama
Sugarplums inspired by the movie “The Nutcracker” – Happy Baking Days
Chai Spiced Roasted Nuts inspired by the song “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire” - Take A Bite Out of Boca

Festive Main Dishes

Maple Syrup Spaghetti- inspired by the movie “Elf”- Momma’s Meals
Who Hash inspired by the movie “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” - girlichef
Ginger Orange Glazed Cornish Hens inspired by the song “The 12 Days of Christmas” - Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
NY Hot Dog with Sabrett-style Onion Sauce inspired by the movie “Die Hard” - Small Wallet, Big Appetite
Classic Caesar Salad inspired by the movie “The Santa Clause” – The Little Ferraro Kitchen
Individual Meatloaves & Horseradish Mashed Potatoes for Mommy’s Little Piggies - inspired by the movie “A Christmas Story” – The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
Christmas Waffles inspired by the TV special “A Claymation Christmas Celebration” – Curious Cuisiniere
Filthy Animal Pizza inspired by the movie “Home Alone” – Foxes Love Lemons
Chicken Orzo Soup inspired by the song “12 Days of Christmas” - Family Foodie
Brandied Candied Sweet Potatoes inspired by the song “Christmas Is The Time To Say ‘I Love You’ ” - Cindy’s Recipes and Writings

Sweet Holiday Treats

Gin and Tonic Cupcakes inspired by Adam Sandler’s ” The Chanukah Song” - The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
Chocolate Chip Shortbread Bars inspired by the movie “Love Actually” – Magnolia Days
Gingerbread Marshmallows inspired by the song “Marshmallow World” – Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Cookies inspired by the movie “The Gremlins” – Killer Bunnies, Inc.
White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge inspired by the song “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas” – Alida’s Kitchen
Snowball Cookies - inspired by the movie “White Christmas” - The Foodie Army Wife
Penuche Fudge inspired by the movie “Elf” – Pies and Plots
Hot Chocolate Cookies inspired by the movie “Santa Clause” - Mess Makes Food
South Pacific Coconut Tres Leche Cake inspired by the movie “South Pacific” - The Ninja Baker
Cookies & Cream Fudge inspired by the movie “Elf” – The Messy Baker

Cozy Drinks

Toasted Coconut Hot Cocoa - inspired by the song “Let It Snow”- Chocolate Moosey
The Christmas Gram inspired by the movie “Elf” – An Appealing Plan
Eggnog Hot Chocolate inspired by the movie “National Lampoons Christmas Vacation” - Peanut Butter and Peppers
Vermont Hot Cocoa inspired by the movie “White Christmas” – Kudos Kitchen By Renee
Spiked Hot Chocolate Peppermint Ice Cream Floats inspired by the song “Holly Jolly Christmas “ -NeighborFood

This is Christmas: Wine Pairings for Holiday Themed recipes – ENOFYLZ Wine Blog 

Peppermint Bark Shortbread

Shortbread is a great cookie anytime of the year but top it with peppermint bark and, suddenly, it is on top of the make-now list for Christmas cookies. Peppermint Bark Shortbread! What could be better?

This theme for this month’s Creative Cookie Exchange is peppermint so I decided to make one of our family’s favorite Christmas candies, peppermint bark, and combine it with another favorite, buttery shortbread cookies.  Surely, this is what the Christmas angels eat. :)

Ingredients
For the shortbread:
2 cups or 255g flour
3/4 cup or 130g cornflour or cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup or 130g sugar
1 cup or 240g butter

For the peppermint bark:
4.6 oz or 130g peppermint sticks (or about 3/4 cup once shattered)
12 oz or 340g good quality white chocolate
Pinch salt

Method
Preheat your oven to 325°F or 163°C and line your 8x8in or 20x20cm pan with parchment paper.

Melt your butter in a small saucepan and allow to cool.

Combine your flour, cornstarch, baking powder, sugar and salt in a medium-sized mixing bowl.  Stir well.

Pour in the melted butter and mix until you have a soft dough.

Press the dough into your prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Put your peppermint sticks in a Ziploc bag and shatter gently with a small hammer.  You don’t want to crush them completely.

Meanwhile, put your white chocolate in a microwaveable bowl and melt in the microwave by zapping 15-20 minutes each time and stirring well in between.  Once the white chocolate has softened mix in the pinch of salt and all but a small handful of the crushed peppermint sticks and stir well.

Spoon the white chocolate/peppermint mixture on top of your almost cooled shortbread, spread it around and smooth it out.

Sprinkle on the reserved small handful of peppermint shards.  Allow to cool completely and almost harden before cutting into squares.

Enjoy!

If you love peppermint like we love peppermint, this is going to be your favorite Creative Cookie Exchange month:

• Chocolate Peppermint and Chocolate Chip Cookies from Karen at Karen’s Kitchen Stories 
• Chocolate Peppermint Cookies from Kim at Ninja Baking
• Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies from Holly at A Baker’s House
• Cocoa Peppermint Cookie Bark from Laura at The Spiced Life
• Mint Chocolate Cookies from Jill at Made with Love
• Peppermint Bark Shortbread from Stacy at Food Lust People Love
• Peppermint Dark Chocolate Drizzled Coconut Macaroons from Felice at All That’s Left Are the Crumbs
• Peppermint French Macarons from Miranda at Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt
• Peppermint Mocha Cookies from Sophia at If I Ever Owned a Bakery 

To join in the fun, just complete the steps below:

1. Write a blog post with recipe and original photo. The theme this month is peppermint!  We would like the recipe to be one you’re making for the first time, and photos must be original.
2. Post the Cookie Exchange badge somewhere on your blog so others can join in the fun.

3. Make a good faith effort to visit and comment on the other cookies in the Linky party. We all love cookies so that should be easy!
4. LIKE the Creative Cookie Exchange Facebook Page
5. FOLLOW the Creative Cookie Exchange Pinterest Board:
6. LINK your blog post below using the Linky tool

You can also just use us as a great resource for cookie recipes--be sure to check out our Facebook page, our Pinterest Board, and our monthly posts. You will be able to find them the first Tuesday after the 15th of each month!

Dark Chocolate Gingerbread Muffins #MuffinMonday

Nothing says Christmas like the delightful aroma of gingerbread baking.  Nothing.  These muffins combine gingerbread batter with melted semi-sweet chocolate for an even richer muffin.  

These past couple of days have been hectic but I can happily report that I am back in the States for the holidays and both of my girls are with me.   I flew into New York, just as the storm hit and managed to get one of the last flights out to Boston on Saturday.  Then yesterday, my younger daughter and I drove back to New York to pick up my elder daughter and all of her worldly possessions.  I am thrilled to say that she has accepted a job offer in Boston and will be moving there in the new year.   1. Her dream job and 2. Only 50 minutes train ride from her sister in Providence.  Both things make this mother very happy!

I knew I’d be on the road so I actually baked these muffins before leaving  Dubai, but I was definitely channeling snow and cold and winter and Christmas.  Make you some!  The whole house smells cozy.

Ingredients
1/2 cup or 110g sugar
2 1/4 cups or 280g flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4  cup or 150g semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
1/2 cup or 120g butter
1/2 cup or 120ml molasses or treacle
1/4 cup or 60ml milk
2 large eggs

Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C and prepare your 12-cup muffin pan by greasing with butter or non-stick spray or lining it with paper muffin cups.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger and cinnamon and stir well.

Set aside a generous handful of chocolate chips to use for decoration later.  Put your butter and the rest of the chocolate chips into a microwaveable bowl and zap for 15 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted.  Allow to cool slightly.

In another bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs and molasses.

Pour your melted chocolate/butter into the milk/egg mixture and stir well.

Pour your wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold them together until just mixed.

Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.  Top each with some of the reserved  chocolate chips.

Bake in your preheated oven about 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Cool in the pan for a few minutes and then remove the muffins to a rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!

Gram's Favorite Peanut Brittle

Peanut brittle is a classic homemade gift for the Christmas season. It’s one of those recipes where the ingredients become way greater than the sum of their parts. Who would think that sugar, syrup and peanuts could be transformed into something so divine?

Earlier this year, in June to be exact, we drove from Houston to New Iberia, Louisiana to spend a couple of days with my grandmother. She was in a rehab center, working on getting strong enough to go home again, after surgery to repair her broken femur.

Just before we left, I called my Aunt Nonnie. What can we bring for Gram? Her answer was all candy:  Peanut brittle, licorice and orange slices.  Never mind that Gram had been diabetic for years, she loved her sweets. When you reach the ripe old age of 99, screw the diabetes!

So, off we went on a candy hunt.  My mother, an integral part of the search team, said that she always bought Gram a tin of peanut brittle from Costco, or maybe Sam’s, each Christmas because that’s the only time of the year it was available. I must admit I was shocked. I had no idea that peanut brittle was a Christmas-season-only thing!  I guess I’ve lived outside of the US for too long, in places where peanut brittle is never available. Sadly, she was right.

We brought Gram orange slices and licorice and substituted something else for the peanut brittle. But I always regretted that I couldn’t find any. As I said to Mom, if I had known ahead, I’d have made some. So, Gram, this batch is for you. I am imagining that your heaven includes a daily supply of peanut brittle but I still wanted to make you some.

Gram's Favorite Peanut Brittle

Ingredients to make 1 lb+ or 475g of peanut brittle
1 cup or 200g sugar
1/2 cup or 120ml light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup or 60ml water
1 cup or 150g shelled raw peanuts
2 tablespoons butter plus more for greasing foil.
1 teaspoon baking soda

Method
Line a baking pan with foil and then butter the foil liberally.  Set aside.

Put the sugar, corn syrup, water and salt in a heavy 2-quart pot, and stir until all the sugar is dissolved.  Add in the peanuts and stir again.

If you have a candy thermometer, attach it to the pot now.  Cook over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the thermometer reaches 300°F or 149°C or until a small amount dropped into a glass of very cold water turns into hard and brittle threads as it sinks.

Remove from heat and stir in the two tablespoons of butter and the baking soda.

Pour the now frothy mixture immediate into your prepared pan.

My original instructions from Good Housekeeping suggested that I use two forks to stretch and spread the mixture in the pan but I found that jiggling the pan vigorously did the trick.

See how it has spread almost to the corners now.

When the peanut brittle is cool enough to handle, use your hands to break the brittle into smaller pieces.  Share with someone you love.

Enjoy!


Visit all the other Christmas Week Peeps for more Holiday Baking Goodness:

• How To Make Perfect Gingerbread People by Cravings of a Lunatic
• Slow Cooker Pumpkin Cobbler by Juanita's Cocina
• S'mores Fudge by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Cherry Noir Noel by Noshing With The Nolands
• Japanese Blondies by Ninja Baking
• Peanut Brittle by Food Lust People Love
• Elf Nibbles by Dizzy Busy and Hungry
• Cheesecake Chocolate Chip Cookies with Salted Caramel by Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
• Gingerbread Men Cookies by Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts
• Mint Chocolate Chip Sugar Cookie Bars by Mom's Test Kitchen
• Penuche by Cooking In Stilettos
• Triple Orange Biscotti by Liv Life
• Homemade Caramels by Jen's Favorite Cookies
• Kerstol (Dutch Christmas Bread) by The Dutch Baker's Daughter
• Dark Chocolate Orange Ricotta Tart with Honey Almond Crust by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Tropical Toffee Brittle by Home Cooking Memories
• Chocolate Raspberry Linzer Cookies by Pineapple and Coconut
• Lemon-Pistachio and White Chocolate Biscotti by The Little Ferraro Kitchen

Pin Gram's Favorite Peanut Brittle!

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