I was thumbing through a new cookbook and came upon this beautiful recipe for Lemon Ginger Muffins.  It called for lemon and crystallized ginger which we had leftover from a Thanksgiving recipe.  It was a sign.  These muffins are delightful.

Ginger and Lemon are such a fabulous flavor combination.  But did you know they have tremendous health benefits as well?  Here’s a great article listing the benefits of both of these powerful ingredients, along with a recipe for Lemon & Ginger Water.  Sounds like a great way to start a Healthy Choices day.

I remember Mom loving crystallized ginger.  She said it eased stomach discomfort and arthritis pain.  We’d always watch for it in the specialty shops.  Now I find it readily available at Whole Foods Market.  My sister says when we have a Mom aka Grammy memory it’s called a Grammory.  I LOVE that!!

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Lemon Ginger Muffins

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Author Vitamix

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbl. freshly grated lemon zest
• 1 3/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup crystallized ginger
• 1/3 cup butter softened
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup milk

For topping…

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest
• 2 1/2 Tbl. melted butter
• 1 Tbl. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or cooking spray; reserve.
• Combine flour, 1 Tbl. lemon zest, and baking powder in a medium bowl; reserve.
• Place 1/2 cup sugar and crystallized ginger in your Vitamix or food processor container. Starting at the lowest setting, increasing to Variable 3 blend for 5 seconds or until ginger is finely chopped.
• Starting at the lowest setting, add 1/3 cup butter to the container, slowly increase to Variable 4 and blend for 10 seconds or until well combined. Stop blending and use a rubber spatula to scrape sides.
• Add milk and egg to the container. Begin at the lowest setting, slowly increase to Variable 5 and blend for 15 seconds.
• Pour wet mixture into flour mixture and combine by hand until well mixed.
• Spoon 1/4 cup into each muffin cup. Mixture will be thick. Bake for 18-20 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and edges are lightly browned.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl stir together 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tsp. lemon zest. In a separate small bowl, combine 2 1/2 Tbl. melted butter with lemon juice.
• While muffins are still hot, dip the tops into melted butter then into lemon sugar. Cool on wire racks.

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I made scrumptious Pistachio-Chai muffins yesterday afternoon.  I sat down at my computer this morning, muffin by my side, to write about them.  I didn’t get two sentences in before I was stuck.  How do I describe the flavor of Chai Tea?  I love it.  I’ve had it many times since Shelby first introduced it to me several years ago.  I know there’s cinnamon, I think there may be ginger and clove, but it’s depth of flavor is far more than that.

Perhaps a little Spice Exploration is in order.  And so I did what I do….read at least a dozen Chai Tea recipes, researched the origin of Chai, and had a quick geography lesson.  What I’ve learned from this mini-research session is that Chai Tea blends are as unique to South Asian cuisine as are Curry Powders.

After doing all the research for my muffin post, there was only one thing left to do…make Homemade Chai Tea.  I followed a basic recipe from Whole Foods and only adapted it slightly to create a fuller more bold flavored tea.  Delicious and ever so perfect with a nice warm Pistachio-Chai Muffin.

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Homemade Chai Tea Latte

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author adapted from Whole Foods

Ingredients

• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 star anise
• 6 whole cloves
• 6 cardamom pods
• 4 peppercorns
• 1 cube crystallized ginger or 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
• 2 single-serve black tea tea bags
• 1 cup milk
• 2 Tbl. brown sugar
• 2 cups water

Instructions

• Place cinnamon, star anise, cloves, cardamom pods, peppercorns, and ginger in a small pot with two cups of water. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to steep for an additional 10 minutes.
• Return pot to heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, add tea and cover. Let steep for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve, discard solids. Return liquid to pot, add in milk and brown sugar. Heat over low 1-2 minutes until hot. Pour into mugs to serve.

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This super easy recipe is a wonderful twist on the Thanksgiving favorite cranberry sauce ~ Cranberry Orange Chutney with Crystallized Ginger.  I’ve slightly adapted this recipe from one I found on Epicurious and this year we’re going to use this lovely chutney in Cranberry Orange & Ginger Chutney Brie Tarts, a recipe by the Authentic Suburban Gourmet.   I can hardly wait!!

I’ll admit that I’m not a huge cranberry sauce fan.  Growing up, Mom and Sarah gave it equal status to stuffing.  I didn’t get it.  I’ve come to appreciate cranberries and the nuance that their sweet-tart flavor adds to a meal or sandwich or cocktail.

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Cranberry Orange Chutney {with Crystallized Ginger}

Course Side Dish

Author adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients

• 1 12- ounce bag cranberries
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbl. fresh orange juice
• zest of 1 orange
• 1/4 cup match-stick cut crystallized ginger

Instructions

• Boil 1 cup of water with sugar and salt until combined.
• Add in bag of cranberries, orange juice & zest and boil for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until cranberries burst. Cool.
• Stir in crystallized ginger. Cover and refrigerate.

Notes

Can be made up to three days in advance.

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