Gingerbread Muffins with Lemon Glaze ~ the scent of gingerbread baking is one of the joys of the season — these muffins are perfect for holiday mornings.
When does a cupcake become a muffin? As long as you’re reading my blog, let’s play by my rules. Are you eating it for breakfast? Then it’s a muffin. Glazed not frosted? Definitely a muffin. Are there spices in it like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves? Muffin, muffin, muffin, and muffin.
There, that was easy.
Gingerbread has been around for centuries in cake, cookie, or biscuit form, and originally it was a medicinal food, thought to help with indigestion. The unifying principle in gingerbread is the mix of spices, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon, and the use of molasses, which gives it that distinct deep rich color and flavor.
Lemon and gingerbread is an inspired combination ~ the warm spices play against the sharp tang of the citrus in a wonderful way, you’re going to love these!
Love gingerbread? So do I, and I’ve got lots of other gingerbread recipes on the blog, like my BITTERSWEET GINGERBREAD BROWNIES, these are topped with a deep dark chocolate glaze that makes them irresistible. My GINGERBREAD CRUMB CAKE and COPYCAT STARBUCKS GINGERBREAD are both delicious ways to infuse a little holiday cheer into a chilly morning.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (260 grams) all purpose flour
- 1 tsp (5 grams) baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (105 grams) light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) molasses
- 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
- 2 cups confectioner's sugar
- fresh squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- Set oven to 350F
- Stir together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices in a small bowl and set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar till fluffy.
- Add in the eggs one at a time, beating in between.
- Beat in the molasses.
- Add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Don't over beat.
- Spoon the batter into 12 muffin cups, lightly greased or lined with muffin papers.
- Bake for about 20-25 minutes until a straw comes out clean.
- Cool for a few minutes in the pan and then turn out onto a rack.
- Cool completely and then glaze with the lemon glaze.
Notes
Gingerbread recipe adapted from The Joy of Cooking
don’t forget to pin these Gingerbread Muffins with Lemon Glaze!
craving more gingerbread?
Copy Cat Starbucks Gingerbread Loaf
Whole Wheat Gingerbread Blondies
Homemade Gingerbread Playdough
26 Comments
From Beyond My Kitchen Window
December 15, 2011 at 3:25 amAnother winner of a recipe. Perfect for this time of year. My kids would love these.
grace
December 13, 2011 at 5:48 pmmuffins good, glaze better. :)
Bourbon&Pearls
December 13, 2011 at 3:19 pmSue, do you have a favourite stuffing recipe? Iwas looking for something different from the usual sage offerings, I was going to try Nigella’s gingerbread stuffing but just read : ‘fine if you like cake with bacon” hmm maybe not.
Joanne
December 13, 2011 at 12:03 pmI totally just made gingerbread muffins to bring into the class I’m TA-ing today. Now I need to go add a lemon glaze! these look delicious.
Sarah (Snippets of Thyme)
December 13, 2011 at 3:01 amYour “cuppffins” look so divine. Darn it!! I was sitting in bed trying not to be tempted to go and get a cookie! Now, because of that velvety looking frosting oozing down the sides of those “cuppffins” a cookie might help in this situation!
Kitchen Belleicious
December 12, 2011 at 6:48 pmgingerbread muffins instead of cookies- genius! i can just see the flavor oozing out of them!
annie
December 12, 2011 at 11:59 pmOkay these muffins look amazing…and as much as i LOVE lemon glaze…i think I could even go for one without the glaze, they look that good…your photography makes everything look good!
Shannon@Cozy Home Scenes
December 12, 2011 at 12:50 pmI love muffins for breakfast or almost any time. I’m always trying new flavors and ingredients. This one sounds delicious. If you would be interested, post these gingerbread muffins on my Gingerbread Linky Party which ends tonight, Mon. 12th at midnight. There is also a separate giveaway for gingerbread items for 12 people. Join in if you can. It’s fun seeing the different recipes and decorations.—– Shannon
Inside a British Mum's Kitchen
December 12, 2011 at 5:52 pmOh these are so beautiful – I swear I can smell them!! – lovely, lovey post – so enjoy visiting here :)
Mary x
Kate
December 12, 2011 at 3:50 pmP.S. Your mug is so pretty!
Kate
December 12, 2011 at 3:30 pmI wish I lived next door! Love the muffin presentation… I have a recipe for gingerbread cake with an orange zest whipped cream, the lemon pairing sounds just as inviting.
I really enjoy you blog.
Merry Christmas blessings to you.. have fun making memories when your girls arrive home!
Sarah
December 12, 2011 at 6:35 amGlad you made that clear! :D I never really understood the difference between cupcakes and muffins, but today I do. Thanks Sue!!! The muffins look terrific and I wish I could grab one right now – it’s breakfast time here as I write.
Have a beautiful day! :)
yummychunklet
December 12, 2011 at 1:55 pmOooh, the crust of the muffins looks so good against the glaze!
Rose
December 12, 2011 at 9:49 amAnother recipe on my must do list…
Mary
December 12, 2011 at 4:00 amWhatever you call them, they sound delicious. Gingerbread falls into a strange area anyway. It is a favorite of mine and yours looks delicious. I hope you had a great weekend. Blessings…Mary
Velva
December 12, 2011 at 2:47 amYes! It’s a muffin. Damn good muffins too. Love, love it. Thanks for sharing it. These are delightful.
Holiday cheers
Velva
Linda A. Thompson
December 12, 2011 at 2:24 amOh I’ve got to make these! They look wonderful.
Sue/the view from great island
December 12, 2011 at 2:12 amSian—you can make the equivalent of buttermilk by adding a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice (or white vinegar)to milk and letting it sit for 10 minutes. I’ve done that before and it works fine.
Victoria
December 11, 2011 at 4:43 pmyum yum perfect for the holidays! i am much more of a muffin fan than cupcake fan!!! and the lemon glaze sounds like the perfect addition!
Sian
December 11, 2011 at 3:52 pmOoops I’ve just realised – you’re not in the UK so can’t answer that one!!
Sian
December 11, 2011 at 3:51 pmWHERE do you get buttermilk from????? The recipe sounds wonderful and I want to try it!!
Gerlinde in Dallas
December 11, 2011 at 5:18 pmYour muffins look gorgeous! I love ginger and lemon together.
Hungry Dog
December 11, 2011 at 4:54 pmDefinitely muffins not cupcakes. I agree with all of your reasoning!
These look fantastic and if I had time to make them this morning I’d be in the kitchen right now…
Yummy Mummy
December 11, 2011 at 3:56 pmLemon glaze is one of my favorite additions to baked goods. I just posted a scone recipe with a lemon glaze :)
Heather @ girlichef.com
December 11, 2011 at 3:41 pmYou know what? My favorite gingerbread is one of Nigella’s that has a lemon icing…I make it every single year on Christmas…it’s so amazing! So yeah, I know I’d love these. YUM!
From the Kitchen
December 11, 2011 at 2:17 pmO.K.! I agree with you. By any name, this looks and sounds delicious. I’ve been thinking gingerbread (one son’s favorite!!) and the glaze certainly takes it up a notch. Thanks!
Best,
Bonnie