Gingerbread muffins

This recipe makes 12 regular sized muffins or 6 jumbo muffins

IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO READ BEFORE BAKING:

To make your own bakery style muffin liners cut a piece of parchment into a small squares. Next cut a slit into two sides of your square, this will allow you to easily pop it right into the muffin tin. Continue this process until you have made enough liners to fill your entire muffin tray.

For a perfect cartoon like muffin top use store bought cupcake liners.

Do not substitute or leave out ANY ingredients. You must use fresh and dried ginger. If you leave out molasses, cocoa powder, or orange zest the muffins will not come out correct flavor and texture wise.

Freeze ginger ahead of time to make it easier to grate. This will also make the mixture less wet.

Place eggs in warm water to bring to room temperature more quickly.

When leavening agents and salt touch a chemical reaction begins, for tall muffins and to avoid having these substances react prematurely do not let your baking soda, baking powder, or salt touch when measuring out your dry ingredients. Whisk together at the absolute last second.

Do not let the batter sit for too long before scooping, bake immediately.

If using liquid vanilla extract or paste add to wet ingredients, if using dry vanilla bean powder add 1/4 tsp to dry ingredients, or use both!

To make homemade apple sauce simmer apples on medium low heat with a small amount of water and warm spices to taste (cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, clove, black pepper, ginger, turmeric, salt) until tender (15-20 minutes). Immersion blend until smooth and allow to fully cool.

You can use store bought apple sauce, add a few extra warm spices to it for extra pizazz.

It is important to mix any add ins with flour, skipping this step will cause any add ins to sink to the bottom and there will not be proper distribution throughout your muffin.

If using frozen fruit be aware it has more moisture and may affect the texture of the batter.

For gluten free muffins use a gluten free flour and double the leavening agents and salt (4 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp salt)

Use a full fat yogurt whole milk yogurt or a non dairy yogurt with similar texture to a full fat whole milk yogurt.

The yogurt must have some structure. Thin yogurt will make the batter too runny, thick yogurt like Greek or skyr will make the muffin bitter.

Do not use greek or skyr, it will effect the flavor and texture of the muffin.

Do not thin greek or skyr with milk it will effect the flavor and texture of the muffin.

Finishing the muffins with a sprinkle of turbinado sugar before baking will create the dunkin donut esq crunchy muffin topping.

Everyones oven is different, I recommend checking the temperature of your oven monthly with a heat safe thermometer to ensure it is properly calibrated.

Make sure your oven actually hits 425 before baking the muffins. A lot of the time it will say it is fully pre heated but the actual temperature will be lower than what you set it to.

Bake the muffins on the top rack since it is usually the hottest area of the oven. You will notice a difference in the rise of your muffins if you don’t bake them on the top rack.

Baking times will vary depending on your specific oven.

Muffins continue to bake while they cool once taken out of the oven, keep this in mind to avoid a dry over baked muffin.

The best way to store your finished muffins is to individually wrap them in aluminum foil and freeze them as soon as possible to preserve freshness. You can then defrost/reheat at your leisure. I like to cut mine in half and griddle them on a cast iron pan.

I personally think muffins tastes best 24 hours after baking.

Ideas of what to put in your muffins:

chocolate chips

nuts/seeds

oats

cranberries

dried fruit

Use about 1/2 cup to 1 cup of any add ins

INGREDIENTS:

DRY:

350g flour

1 TBSP cocoa powder

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 TBSP dried ginger powder

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cardamom

1/2 tsp clove

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp allspice

1 tsp turmeric

1/8 tsp black pepper

WET:

2 large eggs room temperature

75g gran sugar

135g brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 TBSP freshly grated ginger

zest of 2 oranges

160g molasses

260g full fat whole milk yogurt (NOT GREEK OR SKYR)

35g apple sauce

1/2 cup olive oil

MAKING THE MUFFINS:

• Preheat oven to 425 Farenheit

• Spray and line a muffin sheet

• In one bowl measure out dry ingredients

• Measure out wet ingredients in separate bowl

• Whisk dry ingredients until combined

• Whisk wet ingredients until combined

• Gently FOLD and incorporate dry ingredients into wet with a SPATULA (important) until JUST MIXED there will still be dry flour present

• If putting any add ins like chocolate chips or nuts do so now.

• Using a cookie scoop add one scoop of batter to each muffin slot in the tin, then add another scoop, top each muffin with a third small dollop of batter (this will create a nice muffin top)

• Sprinkle with turbinado sugar and cinnamon (1-2 tsp)

• Bake 425 for 10 minutes

• Turn heat down to 375 and bake for another 10-12 minutes. They are done when golden, you can smell them, and if a toothpick comes out clean.

• Total baking time should be around 22-25 minutes depending on your oven