Chai Spiced Pumpkin White Chocolate Muffins

I have noticed recently that my pumpkin muffin recipe that I posted last year has been getting some renewed interest on Pinterest. So I thought I would update and jazz up my pumpkin muffin for this Fall with a few extra spices and some white chocolate chips.

I'm not a huge fan of pumpkin spiced things (which I have mentioned here before). But ironically, I LOVE chai spice, which is really pumpkin spice with a few extra spices - cardamom and all spice. The chai spice isn't overwhelming and definitely compliments the pumpkin flavor.

One reason I love using pumpkin in baked goods, despite my aversion to pumpkin spice, is because it helps make things a wee bit healthier. The pumpkin adds a lot of moisture without having to add any oil or butter (like I use in my other muffin recipes). I also used almond milk and Greek yogurt (a staple in my standard muffin recipe), which also eliminates any additional fat. Of course, you could make these even healthier by eliminating the chocolate chips, but if you do so, I would suggest adding 1/4 cup extra sugar to the batter, as the batter itself is not overly sweet.

The muffins are perfectly moist and delicious, with just the right amount of spice and flavor!

White Chocolate and Cranberry Scones

In my family, Christmas morning is a big deal. My mom is in charge of brunch, and the menu has been the same as long as I can remember. Once and a while we add something new. A few years ago, we started making monkey bread, which became an annual staple. This year, my mom wanted to add another "sweet" item. Since I have been itching to bake some scones, I suggested Cranberry-White Chocolate scones. She was sold.

This was the first time I have ever attempted to make scones. But when you look at the recipe, they aren't too different from biscuits. So if you can make a biscuit, you can make a scone.

I researched a few different recipes, from traditional British scones to healthier scones. In the end, I concocted the recipe below. And not to pack myself on the back or anything, but these were pretty stinking good. Honestly, I think the secret ingredient was the Mexican vanilla that my mom had from our trip to Mexico last year. It is so strong and sweet, it would make anything taste good.

The cast of characters: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, lemon zest, butter, buttermilk, egg, vanilla, white chocolate chips, and dried cranberries.

I like to think making scones and biscuits in 3-4 stages. Dry. Butter. Wet. By that I mean, I mixed all dry ingredients together (except chocolate chips and cranberries. Then I cut in the butter. It was at this point that I added the chocolate and the cranberries. Then I mixed all the wet ingredients together and poured it into the flour mixture. I just stirred everything together with a big spoon until it all came together.

Once that forms a ball of dough, place on floured surface and press down into a fairly thick disc of dough. I didn't have a biscuit cutter, so I used a cup to cut out circles of dough, which I placed about 1 inch apart on a prepared baking sheet.

They didn't take too long to bake, about 15 minutes. You will know when they are done when they get all golden brown on top.

Now, I baked these the day before we served them, and my mom and I both thought they were even better the day after. My grandma couldn't get enough of them and ended up taking a bunch home. They store well if you keep them covered or wrapped in foil.

See recipe below!

Cranberry White Chocolate Scones

Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp lemon zest
4 tbsp (one stick) cold butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cups of buttermilk
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cranberries


Directions
1. In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and lemon zest together.
2. Add in the butter pieces and cut into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter or two knives.
3. Add in the chocolate chips and cranberries.
4. In a small measuring cup or bowl, mix the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla together then add into the butter and flour mixture. Stir together using a large spoon until the dough is tacky and combined.

5. Turn the dough out on to a floured surface and flatten to 1 1/2 to 2 inch thick. Using a biscuit or cookie cutter, cut out rounds of dough and place on prepared baking sheet.
6. Bake at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown on top.