Fruitcake muffins are lightly spiced, packed full of candied fruit and nuts, perfect for an on-the-go holiday breakfast or tea-time treat.
Fruitcake Muffins
By Sue Lau | Palatable Pastime
It’s time for #MuffinMonday again, and right now I am really just starting to get into the holiday season, so I wanted to make some fruitcake muffins.
Fruitcakes are very traditional for the holidays but most people have a love/hate relationship with them, meaning they love to hate them.
These are good. They are fruit-cakey but not gross, if you are worried about the flavor of a nasty fruitcake. I felt I balanced these muffins with lighter and brighter fruit flavors, and only a hint of spice, leaving the muffin character intact (not being too heavy). I added the little drizzle of icing to give it a nice festive look, but I did find the little bit of sweetness was perfect for these muffins.
But I can understand if you have some trepidations about baking these, but you really have to hold my hand and let’s jump off the cliff together.
It mean, it’s not as daring as me at the market today caving to the mysterious package of Kopi Luwak (civet) coffee, which was made famous in the movie “The Bucket List” with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman.
I’ve yet to drink it (not because I don’t have the nerve). The clerk who took it out of the case wondered what it was and I told him. He looked straight at my husband and asked “Are you going to kiss her after that?!?!?” He would. And I am not shitting you- the cats beat him to it.
So…would you drink it?
Join me tomorrow as I celebrate #NationalFrenchToastDay with my recipe for Brazilian Rabanada! It makes for a spectacular breakfast and perfect for brunches when entertaining guests over the holidays.
~s
Fruitcake Muffins
Allow extra 45 minutes to let icing dry before packing up the muffins.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup melted cooled butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon light molasses
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon cherry extract
- 1/4 cup rum
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1-1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup Old English fruit and peel mix (fruitcake mix)
- 1/4 cup chopped dried pineapple (not glace- I didn’t like the look of it when I shopped)
- 1/4 cup chopped dried cranberries (craisins)
- 2 tablespoons minced candied ginger
- 2 tablespoons candied orange peel, chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
- 12-14 whole candied glace cherries
- Wilton white cookie icing
Method:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Whisk together the cooled butter, sugar, eggs, molasses, vanilla and cherry extracts, and rum.
- Sift together the baking soda, salt, ground cloves and flour.
- Stir flour mixture into the wet mixture and stir until smooth.
- Fold in all the rest of the fruit and nuts except the whole glace cherries.
- Divide mixture into either muffin cups in a tin or a greased muffin tin.
- Lightly press a glace cherry on top of each.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean of wet batter.
- Cool completely.
- Drizzle warmed cookie icing lightly over muffins and let the icing set and harden about 45 minutes.
- Store in a sealed container.
From the kitchen of palatablepastime.com
More Muffin Monday Muffins!
- Apple Butter Muffin Tops from Farm Fresh Feasts
- Apple Streusel Muffins from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Beet Muffins from Passion Kneaded
- Candied Fruit Christmas Muffins from Food Lust People Love
- Crab Corn Muffin from Kelli’s Kitchen
- Fruitcake Muffins from Palatable Pastime
- Jim ‘n Nick’s Cheesy Muffins – Copycat from Making Miracles
- Shoofly Muffins from Sew You Think You Can Cook
I love your muffins stuffed full of fruit and nuts, Sue, but I especially love how you decorated them. So pretty and festive for the holidays!
I’m with Stacy! The fruit in the center and the whispy glaze are gorgeous!
These muffins look wonderful!! I love fruit cake!