Mystery Muffins!

This is fun tradition I started last year, I think...may have been the year before. Anyway, these muffins actually go by another name, but this morning we re-named them! I've changed the recipe slightly to reflect our tastes as well. The fun mystery in these mini muffins is that one blessed child will find a muffin with an almond baked into the center. That special child will then receive a special prize. This morning the prize was a huge candy cane. I also gave each of the younger children a runner up prize, just to see them smile. They got a Christmas straw (I found a pack of 5 at Wal-mart for $1.00). Here's the recipe:

1 1/2 cup pastry flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/2 c. raw sugar
1/3 c. organic Shortening
1 egg
1/3 c. milk
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. lemon extract
1 1/2 cup apples, peeled and shredded

Topping:
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup raw sugar
1 1/2 t cinnamon

1 almond

Stir together first four ingredients and set aside. Cream sugar and shortening; add egg and milk, stirring well. Combine these with the dry ingredients. Add vanilla and lemon extracts, then stir in apples. Fill small, well-greased muffin cups 2/3 full of batter. Insert almond into any muffin cup. Bake muffins at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Remove from pan, cool briefly, then spoon a little bit of the topping onto each muffin. Makes 36 small muffins.

Of course for my family I also had to make scrambled eggs and turkey bacon, but they loved the flavor and size of the muffins and it was so fun to find out who got the almond! The winner this morning was: Blue-Raspberry Taffy! Sorry I don't have a picture of him with his prize. Our dining room is too dark for a picture that early in the morning!

Merry Christmas,
Mrs. Taffy