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Holiday recipes

Spiced Yogurt Muffins (Yield: 50 servings)

Spiced Yogurt Muffins (Yield: 50 servings)

6 1⁄2 cups Dannon plain fat-free Greek yogurt

4 cups water, room temperature

1 box (5 lbs) Gold Medal® Muffin Mix, Whole Grain Variety

3 tablespoons McCormick pumpkin pie spice

2 tablespoons McCormick

Chipotle cinnamon

PREPARATION

- Combine yogurt and water in mixing bowl. Whisk until blended. Set aside.

- Add spices to dry muffin mix in a large bowl. Add yogurt and water mixture to the muffin mixture. Mix until just blended. Don’t overmix.

- Using a scoop, portion into greased or lined muffin pans.

- Bake at 350 F for 24 minutes, or 17 to 20 minutes in a convection oven, until the tops are golden brown.

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Cream Cheese Cranberry Loaf

2 cups Cranberries, fresh or frozen Refrigerated

4 Eggs

1 1/2 tsp Baking soda

2 cups Flour

1/2 tsp Salt

1 1/2 cups Sugar

1 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract

1 cup Butter, unsalted

1 (8 oz.) package Cream cheese

PREPARATION

- Preheat oven to 350º F and lightly grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan with butter or non-stick spray.

- Cream together butter, cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl or mixer, then, one at a time, beat in eggs and vanilla.

- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt until combined. Gradually mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients, stirring until just incorporated.

- Gently fold in cranberries, then pour mixture into greased baking dish. (Could also use 2 loaf pans, if desired.)

- Place in oven and bake for 60-70 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

- Remove from oven and let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

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Sticky Chocolate Gingerbread (Makes an 8-inch cake)

^21⁄3 cups dark molasses

6 ounces dark chocolate (60 to 70 percent cocoa solids), grated

13⁄4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground ginger

5 ounces whole pieces preserved stem ginger, drained and roughly chopped

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened

1⁄2 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, sifted (to remove lumps)

2 medium eggs, beaten

1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons milk, warmed

A pinch of salt

Extra-large crystallized ginger pieces, to scatter (optional)

A deep 8-inch square cake pan or 8 x 6 x 3-inch oval cake pan

PREPARATION

- Preheat the oven to 325 F. Grease and line the base and sides of the cake pan with nonstick parchment paper.

- Put the molasses in a pan and heat gently until hot, but do not allow it to boil. Remove the pan from the heat and add the chocolate. Stir until melted.

- Sift the flour, ground ginger and salt together in a bowl. Add the stem ginger and toss it around in the flour until every piece is coated.

- Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs, then the molasses and chocolate mixture and finally the flour mixture. Dissolve the baking soda in the milk and gradually beat this into the batter.

- Pour into the prepared cake pan, scatter with the crystallized ginger, if using, and bake for 45 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 F and bake for another 30 minutes. (If using the oval pan, cook for about 45 minutes at the higher temperature, then about one hour at the lower temperature, as it will be deeper.) A metal skewer inserted into the center should come out clean. - Let cool for five minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack and let cool completely. When cold, store in an airtight container for at least a couple of days to mature and become sticky. Don’t worry if it sinks a bit in the middle — this is normal.