Gobble, gobble

Wouldn't these make great Thanksgiving napkins?  It's not going to happen this year, or any year, honestly...too pretty to wipe your mouth on.  These are wonderful tenugui, cotton hand towels that I picked up on my recent visit to Japan.  Although they can be found everywhere around the country, this company prints the most lovely designs which seem to change seasonally.  (Or at least the selection at my favorite shop does.)  The towels are very popular and there are several books published in Japan on various uses of tenugui including sewing/craft projects.  In doing some quick interent research for this post, I found this website...abunai!! (Danger!)  Look at the pears. *swoon*  Needless to say, with our last-minute travel prep to attend to, I quickly retreated and left many webpages unvisited.  But I did bookmark.  Heh.

We'll be heading out soon but I promised to share another muffin recipe before I left.  Of all of my baking, I made these last and the house still smells wonderful.  (They'd be delicious served warm with homemade applesauce.) 

Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving and, if it applies, safe travels for you and your families!

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Gingerbread Muffins

• 2 1/2 cups unbleached flour
• 1/2 cup packed lt. brown sugar
• 1 TBSP ground ginger
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda, sieved
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup dark molasses
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large egg

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly butter 12 muffin cups. (I use paper liners.)

2. Combine flour, brown sugar, ginger, baking powder, baking soda and cloves in a large bowl; stir until well blended.

3. In separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, molasses, oil and egg.  Add to dry ingredients all at once and fold until evenly moistened.  Do not over mix. (The key to good muffins!)

4. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake until edges start to pull from sides and a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 20 minutes or so.

5. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from pan.

6. Try to resist!

Comments

[PJ]

So funny I just posted a recipe for pumpkin muffins! Lovely napkins!

[Chris]

Mmm... gingerbread...

[Lisa]

I have been craving all things gingerbread! Thank you for the recipe, I'll have to give it a whirl.

Happy Thanksgiving, Jan!

[Kathy]

YUM! Thanks for the recipe, Jan -- I think I'll try these on Thursday monring. Have a safe drive and Happy Thanksgiving!!

[Carole]

Those sound so good and I can see why they would make your house smell wonderful. Safe travels! Happy Thanksgiving.

[sammyjo]

the towels are groovy lol and i cant wait to use your recipes to make muffins on saturday thank you for shareing.

[floribunda]

it's a good thing I can't read Japanese, or I'd be in big trouble with those pears...

[monica]

gorgeous!!!! I love those designs... My husband is in Japan now.. but can you believe he has not one minute free to do shopping? Next year I'm planning to go with him...

I better start saving now!

[Elizabeth]

The muffins sound delicious, the napkins divine. Those pear ones, swoon.
I would like to see the Bemused muffin breakfast in action.

[jessica]

I love the kabocha towels!! I really wish i could get japanese pumpkin down here in my neck of the woods. The chinese market near Boston has it of course, but I never bother to make the drive just for pumpkin..

thanks for the recipe, I actually have all the ingredients on hand so I might try it soon.

p.s. i have no will power these days so i didn't let myself click the links. I will go back to them one day though.

[Tanya]

Tenugui! I never even thought about using them in any other way than just as towels as they were meant to be in Japan. Yeah! I could make napkins! Hey that little dog is so cute. I could stablize it someway (the weave is a little loose usually) and even use it in patchwork. Thanks for giving me food for thought!

[africankelli]

Gingerbread AND pretty fabric? I think maybe you need some help packing. Like me packing away those muffins and towels...

[africankelli]

Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving!!

[Kay]

O Jan. Janjanjanjanjan.

When you have a spare moment (I am willing to wait), I need to learn how to buy tenugui. I love them. I long to cut them up and sew them back together. They are the bomb. I knew them not before I clicked on that link of yours.

O Jan.

You have a lot to answer for already. And now this.

xo Kay

[Cherri House]

Those pears remind me of some fabric we saw at quilt market by a japanese company - they had the most amazing fabric. Thanks for the recipe. Happy Thanksgiving!

[Sue in western WA]

{sigh} I miss muffins. Do you suppose substituting soy milk, fake egg powder and just the tiniest bit of cane juice in place of the sugar and molasses would work? (Somehow I doubt it.)

Hope your Thanksgiving was joyous.

[corinne]

Thanks for this reciepe ! And the fabrics are really lovely.

[floribunda]

excellent muffins, although I overbaked them just a bit... I like the amount of ginger!
thanks