Eggnog Muffins

I've found that most people have a love/hate relationship with eggnog. My husband absolutely loves eggnog and can't wait until there is a carton in our refrigerator; my son won't allow the stuff to pass his lips, no matter what. In recipes, I have found that the flavor of eggnog is muted and still noticeable, but not overwhelming. What I really like about using eggnog in muffins and breads, is the moistness that it adds to the finished product. In this recipe the addition of golden raisins, or chopped, dried apricots, and nutmeg, make for a very festive addition to the breakfast menu. Blessings...

Recipe:

3 cups unbleached flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 egg
1-3/4 cups eggnog
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup golden raisins or chopped, dried apricots
1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients.
2. In another bowl, combine the egg, eggnog and oil; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
    Stir in raisins and pecans.
3. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full; approximately 1/4 cup batter per cup.
4. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 
    minutes before removing from pans to a wire rack.

Yield: 16 muffins

This recipe was adapted from a "Taste of Home Cookbook".

Eggnog Spice Bundt Cake

This tasty Bundt cake has eggnog in it, but the eggnog is not a strong taste, for those of you who don't care for the drink. The cake has a warm spicy taste and is very moist. The original recipe was written to be low in calories, but I changed that by adding a Cream Cheese Frosting. I know that the holiday season is over, but if you happen to have some eggnog left in your fridge, as I did, you might give this cake a try. The recipe starts with a box cake mix, so it goes together very quickly. Blessings...

Recipe: 

1 (18-1/4 oz.) box spice cake mix (without pudding in the mix)
1 (4-serving) box instant vanilla or cheesecake pudding and pie filling mix (I used French Vanilla)
1 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt (I used Greek)
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup light eggnog (I used Vanilla Spice eggnog, full fat!)
1 egg
3 egg whites
1-1/2 cups pecans, toasted and chopped (you should have about 1-1/3 cups chopped pecans.)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, turning the nuts after 5 minutes. Cool and chop.
2. Coat a nonstick Bundt pan with cooking spray or grease a 10" tube pan.
3. Combine cake mix, pudding mix, yogurt, oil, eggnog, egg and egg whites in a large bowl. Mix until creamy, about 1 minute on medium speed.
4. Stir in pecans. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 40 to 50 minutes, until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Remove cake from pan and dust with powdered sugar.

Yield: 16 servings
Calories using original ingredients, dusted with powdered sugar = 280 per serving and 2 gms. fiber. I didn't figure out the calories for my variation with frosting.
Note: I use Duncan Hines cake mix because it does not have pudding in the mix. If you use a mix that has pudding in the mix and add more pudding your cake will be extremely heavy. I did that once and the recipe was a failure. I'll post my Cream Cheese Frosting recipe tomorrow.
Original recipe by Holly Clegg and found in Relish Magazine