Holiday Spices Elicit Memories of Comfort.

Comfort foods remind us of the innocence of childhood, and the wonders of all.  All?  Yes, the taste, texture, sight and smell, especially during the “Ber” months are filled with it.  A warm bowl of buttery mashed potatoes slowly moves along the tongue, down the throat and into the belly.  The feeling of fullness, the taste of the butter, milk and potatoes surrounds us like a warm blanket cloaked over our shoulders, while we gaze into a wood burning fire.

Then there are the spices that make their ways into drinks, main dishes, side dishes and desserts.  These aromatic spices elicit memories of warmth, feeling safe, loving times with friends and family, and pure comfort and joy. 

Cinnamon: The most common spice, with a warm, sweet, and woody flavor that is central to many holiday recipes.

Nutmeg: Frequently used in drinks like eggnog and in baked goods, offering a sweet, warm, and slightly spicy taste.

Ginger: Provides a tangy, warm, and spicy kick, perfect for gingerbread cookies and other holiday treats.  (I mistakenly added some to banana bread I recently made.  Oh, it brought the overall flavor up to a whole new, delicious level.)

Cloves: A classic holiday staple with a slightly bitter and peppery flavor, often used in both sweet and savory holiday dishes. (gives a lively kick to baked goods)

Allspice: Combines the flavors of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, adding a warm and sweet profile to dishes like mulled wine and baked goods. (often found in apple pie or pumpkin pie mixes)

Cardamom: Known for its complex, floral, and sweet flavor, it is a popular ingredient in many European and Middle Eastern holiday recipes. (wonderful in apple cider donuts and carrot cake)

Star Anise: Features a smoky, woodsy flavor and a star shape, making it a popular addition to mulled wine and other spiced beverages.

Vanilla: Adds a sweet and rich flavor, essential for many holiday desserts. Make sure to use pure vanilla, not imitation.

Go back into the San Juan Record, or my food blog, archives to November 2, 2016 and you will find recipes for Snickerdoodle cookies, their origin history, and another recipe for Pumpkin Snickerdoodle cookies.  Cinnamon is the main spice used in snickerdoodles, but I don’t believe in settling; not even with my own recipes.

For this “Ber” month of November, I umpped up the recipe to make muffins filled with, not just cinnamon, but nutmeg and cloves.  They are sweet, the cloves giving a hint of a kick to the taste buds, and the sugar-cinnamon topping is slightly crispy while the muffin texture is tender.  Delicious as is, but warm up one, split it in half, place in a bowl and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  A taste of heaven without going there.

 

Snickerdoodle Muffins

Ingredients:

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar (or equivalent sugar substitute)

2 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

3/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. cream of tartar

3/4 tsp. each ground cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves

1 and 1/4 cups sour cream

2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (+1/4 cup for high altitude)

1/3 cup + 1/8 cup (6 tsps.) sugar (or equivalent sugar substitute) and 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon, mixed together for topping.

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F, place paper liners in muffin tins (18 cups).

 

 

Cream the butter and sugar until soft and golden colored, stir in vanilla. Add in eggs one at a time and mix until each is well incorporated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cream of tartar and spices.  Add half flour mixture plus half sour cream to butter mixture, fold in until flour is all incorporated.  Repeat with other half of flour and sour cream. Batter will be moist, but not overly dense.

 

 

 

 

Using a 2-inch-wide ice cream scoop, scoop out batter into each paper cup.  Sprinkle one teaspoon of sugar-cinnamon mixture over top, and down sides, of batter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bake for 22-25 minutes, until tops are golden brown, and toothpick inserted in center comes out cleanly.  Let muffins rest for 10 minutes before moving to platter.  For storage, in plastic bag, muffins will last 5 days.  Or, wrap in aluminum foil, place in freezer bag, and store for up to 3 months in a freezer.

 

Looking down at the muffins, the tops look just like snickerdoodle cookies.

Makes 18 muffins.

For a Quick Bread

Divide batter into two 8-inch loaf pans, bake for 45-50 minutes; or until tops are golden brown, and toothpick in center comes out cleanly.  Resting and storage are same as for muffins.

Mary Cokenour