Chai Muffins

Isn't it great to start your day with baked goods? It makes it even better when it involves something so soothing like Fall flavors and aromas. Cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and cardamon, came together to make these outstanding chai muffins. 

I love to utilize whole spices for nearly everything I cook or bake.  I lightly warm them in a cast iron skillet just to release their aroma. I then grind them into fine powder and that, my friends, is what sets these muffins apart from the rest. I wouldn't take that extra step if the results weren't that amazing. 

Since I was in a Fall-spices mood, I went ahead and made chai tea to go with the muffins. Chai tea is one of my absolute favorite things to drink during the cold months. It's just  so soothing, aromatic and it has a great kick to it from all those spices. These two together may seem like a lot of spices but I promise, they work harmoniously together.

Ingredients:
makes 12

Find chai tea recipe HERE

For the muffins:

1 ¾  cups flour

1 lg egg

⅓  cup vegetable oil

1 1/4 cup milk

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

a pinch of tsp salt

½ tsp ground nutmeg

½ tsp ground cinnamon 

¼ tsp ground clove

½ tsp ground cardamon  

To coat:

3/4 cup sugar

1 tbsp cinnamon

1/2 tbsp cardamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp clove

6 tbsp melted butter

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Lightly grease a muffin pan and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together for few seconds, the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, egg and vegetable oil, whisk to combine. With the mixer on low, add the milk mixture into the dry ingredient in three parts. Once all the milk mixture is in, increase the speed to medium and mix for few seconds until the batter is smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin pan and bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let them cool on the pan for 5 minutes then transfer them to a cooling rack. In the meantime, combine the sugar and the spices in a bowl, once the muffins are cool, dip the top of the muffins into the butter then roll them in the sugar mixture.