All's Fair: Cranberry-Almond Teacakes

For the first time last Fall, I entered the baking competition at my local harvest fair. There were lots of entries, of all shapes and sizes, including an outrageously decadent-looking pan of cinnamon rolls! And while I didn't win anything, these Cranberry-Almond Teacakes still say "blue ribbon" to me :-)

Cranberry-Almond Teacakes

Dry ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup dried cranberries

Wet ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature

Topping:
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with muffin liners; set aside.

Stir flour, baking powder, salt, and ground ginger together in a small bowl. Add the dried cranberries and toss in the flour mixture, breaking up any clumps as you go. In a large bowl (or the pan you used the melt the butter, if it's big enough), cream butter and sugar together until fluffy, then mix in extracts and eggs. Blend in half of the dry ingredients, stir in the milk, then add the remainder of the dry ingredients and combine until just smooth. Divide evenly among the liners (about 2/3 full each). Sprinkle tops with about 1 teaspoon each almonds and sugar, then bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes: Why "teacakes?" Well, they're not sweet enough to be cupcakes, yet they're still too delicate to be muffins! These are perfect, as you may have guessed, with a cup of tea for elevenses, or even as a mid-afternoon snack. The crumb is tender and rich, and the little bit of ginger adds a pleasant warmth. The headiness of the almond extract is divine!

>o<

Tapped Out: Maple-Pecan Breakfast Muffins

The end of Winter and the beginning of Spring mark the season for maple sugaring. Maple sap runs best when the temperatures are above freezing during the day, but still fall below freezing at night. During this time, sugar maple trees are tapped and the watery liquid collected in buckets, after which it is boiled down into the viscous, distinctively smokey natural sweetener we all love. Since maple syrup is so firmly linked to breakfast, I see no reason to try and alter that perception—although you can certainly enjoy these muffins any time of day!

Maple-Pecan Breakfast Muffins

Dry ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup chopped pecans, divided

Wet ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with muffin liners; set aside.

Stir flour, baking powder, salt and 1/2 cup of the pecans together in a small bowl. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until fluffy, then mix in maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla. Blend in half of the dry ingredients, stir in the milk, then add the remainder of the dry ingredients and combine until just smooth. Divide evenly among the liners (about 2/3 full each). Sprinkle tops with remaining 1/4 cup pecans and bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes: These muffins mix together quickly, and the simple flavors of the maple and pecans really shine through. If you prefer, substitute another kind of nut for the pecans, or leave them out altogether. I'd love to know how they would taste if you substituted cooked, crumbled bacon for the nuts—let me know if you try it!

>o<