Totoro Family Recipes: Eggnog Streusel Muffins

I'm convinced holiday elves are responsible for transforming grocery stores from Halloween headquarters to Winter Wonderlands in the wee hours of November 1st. Warm fall colors are now festive reds and greens; candy corn gives way to ribbon candy; and delicious eggnog is now front-and-center on the dairy shelves.

I realize not all are fans of this holiday drink. Truth be told, I only indulge in  a glass each year. But I do enjoy the flavor and enjoy adding a bit to baked goods and morning coffee.

I modified the basic muffin recipe from the Joy of Cooking to include this subtle hint of Christmas. These are great as a breakfast pastry, a teatime snack, or a part of an elaborate holiday brunch.

 Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg (my addition)
• 2 eggs
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted then cooled
• 3/4 cup eggnog (my substitution)

Streusel Topping (my addition):

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:

1. For the Streusel Topping: crumb together all ingredients in a small bowl and set aside
2. For the muffins: Combine dry ingredients (flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, and nutmeg) in a large bowl and set aside
3. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs - then add the cooled butter and eggnog
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just blended
5. Spoon batter into well-greased muffin tins then top generously with streusel
6. Bake at 400 degrees approximately 10-12 minutes (for mini muffins)
7. Makes approximately two dozen mini muffins

The eggnog flavor is quite subtle. I plan to experiment this year and perhaps add a bit of rum extract to the wet ingredients for a fuller (more authentic) taste.

This post is part of BethFishRead's Weekend Cooking Link Up. For more delicious recipes, please visit her weekly blog feature.