Winter Breakfast: Vanilla Chai Muffins

Warming chai spices make these muffins extra special on a winter morning!  Hot from the oven these muffins are hard to beat and will be on your table in 30 minutes.

Vanilla Chai Muffins

One thing I miss so much due to our stay at home orders is a Chai Latte from Coffee Bean.  Oh that sensation that you get from a foamy hot drink that is slightly sweet and heady from chai spices...boy I miss that feeling!  Well I turned my favorite drink in to my new favorite muffin.  This muffin has everything the drink has.  Slightly sweet and full of vanilla and chai spices with an extra sprinkle of sanding sugar on the top for a bit of crunch and an extra sweet bite.  Heaven I must say.  Even MGG said that he thought this was a great muffins...so much so he ate two!

To make this muffin you need some Vanilla Chai Spice which may be purchased as a blend.  This makes things a lot easier than blending your own.  If you would like to make your own see my recipe down below in the Kitchen Notes & Tips section.  You could also use Oregon Chai vanilla powder or liquid concentrate to get a similar flavor.  These muffins are the perfect breakfast treat on a winter morning.  They are equally good during winter brunch, with coffee or tea, or as a afternoon snack.  Definitely bakery worthy and so much cheaper.  Plus did I mention that you can whip these up and have a hot fresh muffin in 30 minutes?  Love that!

What Ingredients do I need?

• egg
• milk
• canola oil or vegetable oil
• flour
• sugar
• baking powder
• vanilla chai spice mix (see Kitchen Notes below for sources)
• salt
• sanding sugar (optional topping)

Substitutions and Variations

• Make mini muffins instead of regular sized muffins
• Double the recipe for 12 muffins
• Use liquid chai flavoring instead of a mix
• Add some mini chocolate chips
• Add some chopped pecans or walnuts for crunch 
• Substitute your favorite sweetener for the sugar
• Use yogurt instead of milk
• Use butter instead of canola oil
• Use 1/2 the amount of flour with whole wheat or white whole wheat flour.

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Cook mini muffins for about 12-14 minutes

• Muffins freeze well.  Wrap each one individually in cling wrap and freeze up to 3 months.

• Do not overmix your muffin batter. Overmixing causes your muffins to come out flat and tough

• Homemade Chai Spice Blend:  To make your own chai spice blend 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1/4 teaspoon cardamon, and 1/4 teaspoon all-spice.

• Chai Spice Blend sources:  
• Spice House Chai Spices - I use this one and it has a hint of vanilla in it.
• Amazon - Watkins Chai Powder - This does have a trace of tea in it and no vanilla.  If you want a vanilla hint add some to the muffin batter along with this spice.
• Amazon - Spicewalla Chai Masala - This Blend does not have any tea in it, nor does it have vanilla.  If you want a vanilla hint add some to the muffin batter along with this spice.
• Morton & Bassett Chai Spice - most major grocery stores carry this brand.  This does not contain vanilla.  If you want a vanilla hint add some to the  batter along with this spice.
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Vanilla Chai Muffins

yield:  6 muffins

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1/4 canola oil

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons Vanilla Chai Spice blend  (see Kitchen Notes above for sources)

1/2 teaspoon salt

Coarse sanding sugar for topping (optional)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a 6 well muffin pan with cooking spray and set aside.

To a large bowl add the egg, milk, and canola oil.  Whisk to combine.  Add the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and vanilla chai spice to the bowl.  Stir until just combined.  Do not overmix.  

Using a large cookie scoop, distribute the batter evenly among the 6 muffin wells.  Sprinkle the batter of each muffin with sanding sugar if desired.  Place in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes until the tops are golden brown and set.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.  Remove from the pan and allow to cool on a wire rack.  Serve.

Winter Quinoa Salad

This healthy salad is bursting with flavors and full of winter flavors like roasted butternut squash, apples, cranberries, and toasted almonds.  Topped off with an amazing cider vinaigrette this salad will have you doing a happy dance!

Winter Quinoa Salad

How do you get the flavors of winter but still keep a dish light?  Try this Winter Quinoa Salad for one!  It's bursting with good ingredients such as quinoa (an ancient grain), sweet and roasted butternut squash, juicy tart apples, tart cranberries, a little greens and toasted almonds for crunch and you have one heck of a salad. But wait!  It's not over until you add wrap it all in this amazing cider vinaigrette.  Heaven on a plate!

This is my version of comfort food in a salad.  I made this the other day to go along with some indoor grilled chicken and I must say the salad was better than the chicken!  It's the perfect side dish to go along with any type of protein, or along with a sandwich at lunch time.  Make sure to try this dish soon.  It's easy to make and the best part is it tastes soooo darn good!

Good uses for this salad?

• Side dish with any protein for dinner
• Side dish with sandwiches for lunch
• Picnics or Potlucks
• Brunch
• Movies in the park
• Picnic concerts

What Ingredients do I need?

• quinoa
• butternut squash
• apple
• green onion
• fresh spinach
• dried cranberries
• slivered or sliced almonds
• apple cider vinegar
• olive oil
• shallot
• dijon mustard
• honey

Substitutions and Variations

• Use a lemon vinaigrette
• Use sweet potato instead of butternut squash
• Add dried cherries, or apricots
• Use kale instead of spinach
• Use another grains such as, long grain and wild rice, Israeli couscous, farro, or barley
• Add pepitas, sunflower seeds, or leave out the nuts
• Pick your favorite apples, or use a pear

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Use left over roasted butternut squash or roast ahead of time and allow to cool
• This is beast made ahead so that everything cools to room temperature before serving.
• Best served at room temperature but may be served cold.
• Will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
• Buy already cubed butternut squash for easy prep.

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Winter Quinoa Salad

serves 6-8

1 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups butternut squash, cubed
1 large Envy apple, diced
1 green onion, sliced

2 cups fresh spinach, rough chop
1/3 dried cranberries
3 Tablespoons slivered or sliced toasted almonds

Vinaigrette:

2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

6 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 small shallot, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 
1 teaspoon honey

pinch of salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place cubed butternut squash on a roasting pan and roast for 20-25 minutes until golden brown, turning once.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile in a saucepan add to 2 cups of water and bring to a boil.  Rinse and drain the quinoa in a mesh drainer.  Add to the boiling water along with a pinch of salt.  Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes.  Check the quinoa.  All the water should be absorbed.  Remove from the heat, fluff with a fork, and allow to cool to room temperature.

Prepare the vinaigrette.  In a small bowl add the vinegar, shallot, mustard, honey, and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Slowly add the olive oil while whisking.  Whisk until emulsified.  Set aside.

In a large bowl add the quinoa, butternuts squash, apple, green onion, spinach, cranberries, and almonds.  Stir to combine.  Add the vinaigrette and stir to combine.  Serve.

Product Review: Pumpkin Spice Scottish Shortbread

Lightly pumpkin spiced Scottish Shortbread are light and delicate cookies that will melt in your mouth, and the best part is that you can bake these at home in about 30 minutes!

Pumpkin Spice Scottish Shortbread

Today I wanted to share a product review for a mix that I found that is quite amazing.  This is not sponsored, just something good I would like to share with you.  

I came across a site called Scottish Shortbread a little while ago and found that owner of this site was selling mixes for her secret recipe for Scottish Shortbread.  Passed down for generations, she is now bringing this secret recipe in mix form to us!  Everyone knows, that shortbread is irresistible, but did you know it comes from Scotland?  Well, it sure does.  Now I've made shortbread before on my site but I was so intrigued by the thought of a secret ingredient recipe that hails directly from Scotland that I had to purchase a couple of mixes.  One of which was a limited time mix for Pumpkin Spice Scottish Shortbread, and the other a plain Scottish Shortbread.

I have to tell you that not only was this the easiest shortbread I've ever made (it's made in a food processor), but it certainly is one of the tastiest as well!  This was a great buy!  I highly suggest you try them out.

I had these cookies done in 30 minutes flat!  All you have to do is set out a stick of butter to soften.  Once that is done you just use the butter and the mix in a food processor to make a crumb like textured dough.  Then pull the dough together and form a log, cut and bake!  Simple as that.  This mix was filled with a sweet pumpkin spice blend and I have to say it is addicting!  You could even pat these into a disc and cut out heart shaped cookies for Valentine's Day treats.  That would be soooo cute!

These cookies go perfectly with a steaming cup of coffee, tea, or cocoa.  They are great to serve at a luncheon, bridal shower, brunch, picnic, or a snack or dessert.  They are elegant, yet causal.  Perfect for any occasion and I can't stress enough how easy and quick they are to bake.  I hope you visit her site at Scottish Shortbread and give this product a try.  It's great to support small businesses like these, and we could all use a good cookie in our lives.

Enjoy!