Mini-Christmas Muffins

December 16, 2012

30 min or less active, bread, dessert, winter

Information

Servings: 1 mini-cupcake (makes about 100)
Time: About 3 hours total; 30 minutes active
Price: About $11.65 total; $0.12 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 40.4
Protein: 0.93g
Fat: 1.4g
Saturated fat: 0.63g
Carbohydrates: 6g
Fiber: 0.28g
Sodium: 25.9mg
Cholesterol: 4.7mg
High In:
Good Source:
Low In:

Ingredients

• 1 cup currants
• 1/2 cup dark rum or orange juice
• 1 cup milk, warmed
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, semi-melted
• 1/4 cup honey, warmed slightly
• 1 egg
• 4 cups plus 2 Tbsp flour, divided
• 1 package/scant 1 Tbsp yeast
• 1 tsp salt and ground cinnamon, each
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 cup candied lemon and orange peel, diced
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• Powdered sugar, garnish

Preparation

1. In a medium bowl, pour dark rum or orange juice over currants. Let sit 1-2 hours. Drain and set aside.
2. In a bread machine bowl, add wet ingredients (milk through egg). Then add 4 cups flour evenly over top. In three corners make little wells. Add yeast to one, salt to one and cinnamon and cardamom to the third. Cover over wells, and set the bowl in the bread machine. Start on dough setting.
3. When complete, punch dough down and add drained currants, candied peels, almonds and remaining 2 Tbsp flour.
4. Restart on dough setting. After 5 minutes, stop and turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a few minutes to make sure nuts and fruit are evenly distributed. Add dough to a large bowl sprayed with cooking spray, cover with a kitchen towel and put in a warm place for 1 hour to rise.
5. Divide dough into balls, and place in cooking spray lined mini-muffin cups. Put in a warm place covered with a kitchen towel for 30 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake 10-12 minutes until lightly browned on top.
7. Cool on a rack and then sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve warm.