The March Family's Gingerbread Muffins and Cream
A delicious holiday recipe inspired by Little Women
When kind Marmee arrives home after visiting an impoverished family on Christmas morning, her four daughters greet her joyfully, having spent hours preparing a festive Christmas breakfast. When she tells them about the needy Hummel family, however, they relinquish their holiday cheer, pack a large basket, and offer their morning feast as a gift to the suffering Hummels.
Little Women does not provide a detailed description of the March family Christmas breakfast, although it mentions buckwheat, muffins, and cream. So leaving the buckwheat to spark another cook’s creativity, I settled on gingerbread muffins and whipped cream. I have never made just one single recipe of these gingerbread muffins —they beg to be doubled or tripled and shared! Tuck these muffins and a pot of cream into a basket and add, say, a bookmark with a Little Women quote on it or even a nice copy of the book itself for a creative gift. In honor of Marmee and the March sisters, these simple and delectable one-bowl muffins are convivial holiday shareables for neighbors, teachers, friends, and (of course) Christmas breakfast. —Heidi White
Ingredients
For gingerbread muffins
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (substitute mashed ripe banana or applesauce if you prefer, but I like pumpkin best)
1 large egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
zest of half an orange (optional—but definitely do it if you can. The orange adds an unexpected citrus twist to the rich gingerbread.)
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg (I always double this because I’m crazy about nutmeg)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup melted butter or oil
1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup milk or leftover coffee
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 1/4 cups flour
For whipped cream
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar (I know everybody uses powdered sugar, but I prefer granulated because I like the texture)
1/2 tsp vanilla
Steps
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a muffin pan with paper liners and lightly spray with non-stick spray. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, mix wet ingredients, spices (including salt), orange zest, and sugar.
Add the baking powder and baking soda and stir.
Fold in the flour into just mixed. Do not overmix.
Use a cookie scoop to divide the batter in the muffin pan. Fill each liner 3/4 full.
Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees. Lower the temperature to 375 degrees and bake for an additional 7-9 minutes.
Remove from the oven. Let the muffin tin rest for 5-10 minutes, then cool muffins on racks.
For the whipped cream: In a separate bowl, beat cream, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Chill.
Serve warm muffins with chilled whipped cream (although they are delicious at any temperature!).