Yummy gingerbread cranberry muffins. Mix, mix just as fast as you can.

You better run, run just as fast as you can if you want to get some of these gingerbread and cranberry muffins. 'Cause they smell pretty delicious while they're baking and I like to eat them when they come out of the oven and are still warm.

But seriously don't stress, they are so easy that you can whip up another batch in no time so if they all get snaffled up.

I made up these gingerbread and cranberry muffins for the kids lunch treats yesterday and then I decorated the left overs for afternoon tea.

At this time of year it's easy to go into sugar overload and my kids diet has not been as great as I would like it. They have been having way more fast food than I would choose for them when they are out at other activities. We normally eat pretty well with lots of vegetables and I've noticed they are pretty tired and cranky at the moment.

But y'know sometimes I want to give them a treat and although I did decorate a couple super fancy for the photo's the actual muffin are wholemeal and have fruit in them so I didn't feel too guilty when I served them up.

Gingerbread Muffin (makes 12) recipe adapted from Sweets on a Stick
I send these to school unfrosted but for special occasions you can add the simple cream cheese, butter frosting (recipe below). Gingerbread decorations and sprinkles are optional, make your own or you can grab some ones like this from amazon like these EDIBLE GINGERBREAD MEN DECORATIONS or HEART SPRINKLES

2 1/4 cups wholemeal self raising flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 cup olive oil (I use light which means light flavour not lo-fat)
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1/3 cup treacle
1/4 cup brown sugar lightly packed
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 160C (325F) and line 12 hole muffin tin with paper cases.

Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix by hand until combined.

Spoon mixture into paper cases.

Pop in oven for around 23 minutes they are done when a skewer comes out clean.

Allow to cool on wire track.

You can eat while still warm

Simple Cream Cheese Butter Icing

30g cream cheese
30g unsalted butter
3/4 cup icing sugar, sifted

Mix together all ingredients until light and fluffy.
  

Linda Vandermeer is a blogger, baker, maker and author of the Children's cookbook Sweets on a Stick: More Than 150 Kid-Friendly Recipes for Cakes, Candies, Cookies, and Pies on the Go! Published in the USA in 2011 the book is still available at Amazon and many online bookstores.

Affiliate links may earn me money and contribute to supporting this blog.

Original ideas, photography and recipes Linda Vandermeer please do not reuse without permission except for non commercial purposes where you may use 1 image, give credit and link back to original post.

Sugar spice cranberry pecan and popcorn mix

Quick- must Pin or Bookmark this! It makes fabulous gifts for Father's day or Christmas ;)

The weather has turned and it's cold all of a sudden. Plus windy and rainy....brrrrr.

I'm not a cold loving person unlike Mr Sweet who spent a good deal of his youth in Canada. Although he does love the beach he grumbles his way through hot summer nights, more often than not turning on the air-conditioning while I huddle for warmth under the covers.

In fact the first time I was snowed on as a teenager, even though it was ever so lightly, I cried from the cold. Of course I have toughened up now and worked out that tears do not actually help warm you up. Also there is much to be said for warming up next to a fireplace and drinking hot chocolate with marshmallows. Every (snow)storm has it's silver lining.

Another benefit of cold weather is that the wonderfully frangrant smell resulting from baking anything with spices seems doubly enticing. Add some rainy weather and it might just quadruple.

Anyhoo snow is unheard of around here but it certainly has been wet and windy which made baking this late night experiment even more fun.

Mr Sweet's mother has been gifting us with an almost endless supply of dried cranberries and for some reason when I received the last batch I thought they would be a fabulous addition to sugar and spice pecan nuts.

So off to the shop I popped to buy the pecans which oh my goodness were so expensive. With 3 kids sometimes I have to be economical so I decided to replace half of my old recipe with popcorn :)

Anyhoo the finished produce was quite delicious with the lightly tart cranberries a lovely contrast to the sweet and sugary spiced nuts. (recipe below).

Win A Camera Bag 

Don't forget I have a super competition for Australian and New Zealand residents to win a gorgeous Jo Totes Camera bag from Cambags (CLICK HERE to hop over to the competition post).

Cranberry spice pecan popcorn
Makes around 3 cups. If you like you can use omit the popcorn and cranberries and just make regular sugar spiced nuts.

1 1/2 cups pecan nut halves already shelled
1 1/2 cups popcorn already popped (mine was microwaved buttered)
1/2 cup dried (sweetened) cranberries
1 egg white
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 175C (350 F). Line a tray with baking paper (parchment paper).

In a large bowl mix together the pecans, popcorn and cranberries.

In a small bowl whisk the egg white with a fork until a little frothy, add the vanilla and whisk for another 15 or so seconds until well combined and frothy.

Pour over nut mixture and mix quickly until evenly distributed, add the sugar and cinnamon and mix well.

Spoon the mixture onto the prepared baking tray and pop in oven for 22 - 28 minutes mixing with a gentle folding method every 5 or so minutes.

Allow to cool before eating (well in theory I might not always do that). Can be stored for a week in an airtight container at room temperature.

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Cranberry Christmas cake - Gluten free cooking

I have to be honest generally when I see a cake that is gluten free I mostly shudder. I'm not talking about macarons, or meringues or many of those treats that are meant to be made without the inclusion of flour.

I mean the modified versions of traditional cakes.

Sometimes they are done really well and sometimes..........well it's best not to talk about it.

This cranberry cake is from the first list in that it is meant to be made without the inclusion of flour like a traditional dense and moist flourless nut cake.

But with the exciting addition of cranberries and cinnamon.

The idea for this cake came to be after I was given a kilo of dried frozen cranberries and wondered what in heavens I would do with so many.

I was just about to start work on my lollipop and candy inspired Christmas Cake for this year and with the addition of a little red food color to match the bright exterior this new cake creation was perfect.

 (DIY tutorial on how to make this 3D cake here:  Lollipop and Candy Christmas Cake )

Shop the photo vendors
White plates and bowl from Ikea
Gold fork Christina Re (I picked mine up at DJ's)
Vintage pink tea cup set, cake server and tea strainer
Pink Tea Towel (vintage) Ulster and Weaver 

Sweets on a Stick

and if anyone is looking for last minute Christmas presents in Brisbane, the Bleeding Heart Cafe has copies of my book available right now for purchase. You can email inquiries to: info@bleedingheart.com.au

Flourless Cranberry cake
To make your cake red simply add 1/2tsp red gel food color to the mixture when adding vanilla, if required add more color until the desired shade is achieved.

1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
3 cups water
1 stick cinnamon

175g (6 1/8 oz) almond meal (ground almonds)
50g (1 3/4 oz)hazelnut meal (ground hazelnuts)
200g (7oz) sugar
1 tsp baking powder (gluten free)
5 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract


Place cranberries, cinnamon stick and water into a pan, bring to a low simmer and cook uncovered for 1 hour, remove from heat and allow to cool. Discard cinnamon stick, drain mixture through a sieve and reserve cranberry compote (you can reserve liquid to drink or as a drinks mixer if you like).

Preheat oven to 170C ( F) and grease and line a 20cm round baking tin. (I used a springform).

In a large mixing bowl combine almond meal, hazelnut meal, sugar and baking powder.

In a food processor, pulse the cranberries for about 30 seconds.

Add the eggs one at a time and vanilla processing after the addition of each egg. The mixture will be quite frothy and light.

Add the nut mixture and process until well combined. Use a spatula to scrape around the bottom of the bowl to ensure all mixture is combined.

Pour cake batter into prepared tin and bake for 1 hour.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes in tin and then turn out to cool on a wire rack.

Recipe, photo's and post by Linda Vandermeer author of Sweets on a Stick: More than 150 Kid Friendly recipes for cakes, candies, cookies and pies on the go. You can pick it up at all good online book shops including these shops:

Or here at fishpond (Aus/NZ)