Gingerbread Banana Streusel Muffins

Ginger root gives these Gingerbread Banana Streusel Muffins a spicy bite that just plain old ground ginger can't give you. Perfect to kickstart your holiday baking!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground ginger 

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 egg

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana

1/2 cup melted butter

1/4 cup minced gingerroot 

1/4 cup molasses

Streusel:

1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts

1 tbsp brown sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground ginger 

Mix the streusel ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and dry spices. In another bowl beat the egg, banana, melted butter, gingerroot and molasses together.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix just until combined. Set paper liners in a muffin tin and fill about 1/3 with batter. Then add a heaping spoonful of streusel followed by more batter. Top with a light sprinkling of streusel. (I like more of the streusel in the middle of the muffin. When it's on top it tends to fall off when eating.)

Bake in a 375°F oven for 22-25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Makes 12 medium sized muffins. Sit back and enjoy their spicy intensity!

Gingerbread Walnut Muffins

Cozy, warming spices like ginger, cinnamon and allspice will fill your kitchen with the aroma of fall when you bake these grab and go breakfast muffins! 

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tsps baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsps ginger

1 1/2 tsps cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice

1/2 cup molasses

1/2 cup milk, at room temperature

1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 tsps vanilla

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, plus extra for tops

coarse sugar (optional)

First whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Then whisk all the wet ingredients together and add this to the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined and stir in the walnuts.

Scoop batter into paper lined muffin tins and sprinkle with walnuts and coarse sugar.

Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes then reduce heat to 350°F for 15 minutes longer.

Cool in tin about 5 minutes before cooling on rack.

Makes 12 medium sized fall spiced muffins.

Gonna be hitting those pumpkin recipes soon!

Pear and Sour Cream Gingerbread Loaf

This rich gingerbread loaf made with tender, juicy pears is a wonderful fall bake. And you know what fall baking leads to? Christmas holiday baking!!

This has been such a weird year with Covid lockdowns and little or no gathering together so I'm hoping holiday baking will put me in a holiday mood.

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup molasses

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp cardamon

1/4 tsp allspice

pinch salt

1/2 cup melted butter

2 ripe pears or canned pears well drained

Beat the eggs, then add the sour cream, molasses and brown sugar. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cardamon, allspice and salt and add to the wet ingredients. Then add the melted butter and beat until smooth. 

Pour the batter into a greased and floured or parchment lined 9 X 5" loaf pan. I used canned pear halves so I had left them to drain for several minutes before slicing and placing on top of the batter. I suppose I could have used the halves as is. Maybe next time.

Bake at 350°F for 60-70 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.

Cool in pan about 15 minutes 

Then gently turn it out and remove the parchment if used and cool completely on rack before slicing.

(Sorry... lots of pictures here as I just thought it was so darn pretty and the weather outside was gorgeous for November!)

Also it passed the smell test... Karma approved!