Glazed Gingerbread Muffins

Make Christmas morning special with these moist, spicy Glazed Gingerbread Muffins. They are the perfect treat to begin the most magical day of the year!

There's no better way to ring in the holiday season than with baking projects.

As a little girl, I remember feeling like Christmas wasn't really drawing near until my mom started pulling out the Bundt pan and baking sheets. We would spend hours creating decadent treats to share with friends and neighbors then package them in colorful tins with homemade Christmas cards.

I would beam with warmth as I trudged through the slush to deliver our homemade goodies around the neighborhood. As I rang the doorbell, the anticipation would build for each neighbor's response. Then the smile and thanks I received was always more than enough reward to conquer the cold walk back home.

Now I'm the mama and plan the homemade edible gifts we make each year. Some holiday seasons are smooth sailing. On these years we have time to make labor-intensive truffles and fudge and elaborately iced cookies. Other years we are traveling or the parties are so stacked up I can't see straight.

I can't believe it's already time to get ready for holiday baking. I’m participating in my last series of posts for Land O’Lakes’ Kitchen Conversations this year. It’s been so much fun working with Ree, The Pioneer Woman, and my other blogger friends, Maria, Julie and Brenda. This time our topic is holiday entertaining, which means you’ll need to stock up on lots of butter, of course.

In the hectic years, I make it through the holiday haze by simplifying our baking projects. After all, it's not sophisticated piping that makes an edible gift special, it's the thought — and of course the flavor — that counts the most!

These spiced Glazed Gingerbread Muffins make a wonderful edible gift or Christmas morning breakfast item because they are quick and easy to make and are always a crowd-pleaser.

This means that not only will the friends receiving these muffins be smiling, but you will be smiling as well!

The gingerbread muffins are made moist and fluffy with molasses and a full stick of creamy
Land O Lakes® Butter. The dark, spicy undertones are accentuated by the sweet creamy white chocolate glaze that drips down the sides of each muffin like melting snow.
 

Scatter some holiday sprinkles over the top, and you have a simple treat that is not only visually pleasing, but completely irresistible.
 

I highly recommend these gingerbread muffins.

Whether your holiday season is calm and cool or fast and furious, you should make them!

Glazed Gingerbread Muffins

Yield: 12 muffins

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Land O Lakes® Unsalted Butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup molasses
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup chopped white chocolate or white chocolate chips
3 tablespoons heavy cream

Chopped crystalized ginger or holiday sprinkles for garnishing.

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then scrape the bowl and mix in the molasses, eggs and milk. Stir in the spices, salt, flour, baking powder and baking soda until just combined. Scrape the bowl and mix again for 10–20 seconds.

Use a ¼-cup scoop to divide the batter evenly between the paper liners — do not over fill. Bake for 15–20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Make sure not to overbake or your muffins will be dry. Cool completely, then remove from the muffin tin.

Place the white chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Add the cream and warm in the microwave for 30 seconds. Whisk, then warm again if needed, until the glaze is smooth. Drizzle over the muffins and sprinkle the tops with crystalized ginger or sprinkles.

Disclosure: A Spicy Perspective has partnered with Land O'Lakes for an exclusive endorsement of Land O Lakes^® Butter for their Kitchen Conversation blogger program. This blog post is sponsored by Land O'Lakes.