Cranberry Spice Muffins

These are my favorite muffins. Soft, fluffy, a little spicy, and bursting with tart cranberries. They are so easy to make and infinitely adaptable. I give you the recipe for a really delicious spiced sugar topping, but it’s not in the pictures- but use it!

Ingredients: Cranberry Spice Muffins (adapted from here)

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

4 tablespoons toasted wheat germ

1 and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon apple pie spice

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons orange zest

1 and 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats

1/2 cup packed shredded apple

1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup chopped cranberries

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup boiling water

Spicy Sugar Topping

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Recipe: Cranberry Spice Muffins

Lightly spoon flour into a measuring cup and level with a knife.

With a spoon, combine first 8 ingredients in a large bow.

Stir in oats, shredded apple, dried cranberries, and cranberries.

Make a well in the middle of mixture. Combine buttermilk, orange juice, oil, vanilla, and egg; add to the dry mixture, stirring just until moist.

Stir in boiling water. Let batter stand 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375F.

Spoon batter into a greased muffin tin. Bake for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center.

Spicy Sugar Topping

Mix together the sugar and spices.

Dip the muffins in the melted butter and then in the sugar.

Enjoy!

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Golden Glory Cake with Brown Sugar Boiled Frosting

This cake is absolute perfection. I first saw the recipe for “Golden Glory Cake” in an old cookbook from the 1950s and decided I had to make it. I kept the measurements (except using cold butter for more fluffiness) the same, but I did change the mixing method to the “Two-Stage Mixing Method” which you can read about here. The cake is light, fluffy, and deliciously pineapple-ly. I very much recommend brushing pineapple juice on the cakes though when they are done for extra flavor. The frosting is an old fashioned boiled frosting or 7-minute frosting recipe except I replaced the granulated sugar with dark brown sugar. It tastes of caramel/maple and a cross between whipped cream and marshmallow fluff. Very Good.

Ingredients: Golden Glory Cake

4 and 1/2 cups cake flour

1 tablespoon baking powder + 1 teaspoon

1 teaspoon salt

1 and 1/2 cups unsweetened canned pineapple juice

4 large eggs, room temperature

1 and 1/2 teaspoon butter vanilla bakery emulsion (or vanilla extract)

2 and 2/3 cups granulated sugar

1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed

Brown Sugar Boiled Frosting

1 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup water

2 large egg whites

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Recipe: Golden Glory Cake

Preheat the oven to 350F and line, grease, and flour 3 eight inch cake pans.

Mix flour on high speed for 3 minutes. Measure again- you should have about 1 cup of leftover flour.

Mix flour with baking powder and salt on high speed for 3 minutes.

In a measuring cup, combine and stir the eggs, 1/4 cup of the pineapple juice, and butter vanilla bakery emulsion.

Combine flour with sugar and mix on low speed for 30 seconds. Add the butter, one piece at a time, until the mixture is crumbly.

Add remaining pineapple juice and beat on medium-high speed for 2 and 1/2 minutes. Gradually add egg mixture in 3 separate batches until fluffy and combined.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean with a few crumbs attached.

If you want, brush some extra pineapple juice over the cakes for extra moistness.

Brown Sugar Boiled Frosting

Boil sugar and water over low-medium heat until syrup spins a thread; while beating the egg whites to stiff peaks.

Pour syrup very slowly over the egg whites and beat until smooth and stiff enough to spread. Beat in vanilla and use right away.

Enjoy!

 

Pecan Caramel Cookies

Soft, chewy cookies full of brown sugar and stuffed with caramel bits and pecans. So good. I love these cookies and you will too.

Ingredients: Pecan Caramel Cookies (makes 30)

1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 and 1/2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 cup roughly chopped pecans

1 cup caramel bits

Recipe: Pecan Caramel Cookies

Preheat oven to 350F.

Mix butter and both sugars together until well combined.

Beat in eggs, one at a time, and vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients, flour, salt, and baking soda.

Slowly mix dry ingredients into wet until barely combined.

With a spoon, mix in pecan halves and caramel bits.

Using a medium cookie scoop, spoon onto cookie sheets and bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 10 minutes, or until the bottom is brown.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

So, I’ve been searching for the best chocolate cupcake recipe and I’m pretty sure that I’ve finally found the one. It’s “The Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes” by Brown Eyed Baker. That’s the recipe for the cupcakes I used.  The frosting is absolutely delicious! Creamy, tangy, warm and cinnamon-y; the perfect compliment to the chocolate cupcakes.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4  teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Recipe: Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Sift in powdered sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon.

Whip in the heavy whipping until the frosting is of a pipe-able consistency.

Enjoy!