November muffin recipe: Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffins

 

 I've been racking my brain and searching my Pinterest boards for a suitable muffin recipe for November.  Now I'm down to the wire! I've already used apples, pumpkin, and cranberry recipes galore -- all the fall flavors.  So these chocolate chip oatmeal muffins (with a coffee glaze) from Jocelyn at Inside BruCrew Life look really yummy and don't call for any unusual ingredients.

Well, maybe toffee baking bits would be unusual to some people, but I nearly always have them on hand.  Even the coffee glaze uses just a couple teaspoons of leftover coffee.

An interesting feature of this recipe is the Cake Spice -- a dry spice mixture which Jocelyn makes and keeps on hand in a jar to use in baking.  It seems like it might give a warm fall and winter flavor to these muffins.

These muffins would make a nice kitchen gift.  The coffee glaze and the sprinkle of chocolate mini chips (alternatively, I think chocolate jimmies would also work well) make them a little bit fancy.

I've learned that I can trust Jocelyn's recipes.  She is an amazing and prolific baker who has never steered me wrong yet.

Photo from Inside BruCrew Life

I just may try these for some of the kitchen gift recipients on my Christmas list!

Swinging open the door to the Christmas kitchen again!

 

Yes, tomorrow's the day!  I'll be swinging open the door to the Christmas kitchen again this December, planning to be in here every day.  

Hopefully I'll be sharing recipes, poems, planning ideas, craft projects, and much more.  Not to mention the daily Christmasy activities that happen in a Christmas-loving home this time of year!

Mr. T is sure to be baking something with a festive aroma to draw readers into the kitchen, so I'll plan to meet you all here tomorrow.  See you then!

November Rudolph Day update

 
Wow!  It's rare that I actually think to post an update on Rudolph Day, so I'm pretty tickled to have thought about it today.  

I'm not as far into Christmas preparations as I'd like to be.  I've planned some of my handmade gifts (mostly play food and calendars) and have completed a few items so far.

I've purchased a few Christmas gifts and I've done a good bit of work on my Christmas list.  

We're doing a Christmas program at church and I will involved with that, so there are practices to think about.  Thankfully, the program is scheduled for early in the month (the 11th) so that will make things less busy closer to Christmas Day.

My hubby, though, has already made a good beginning on the Christmas baking list.  He's made three batches of Heavenly Delight fudge already, along with double batches of Secret Spice Cookies, Chocolate Spritz, and Chocolate Mint Crisps, and a large batch of Whipped Shortbread.

 
And as we speak, he's working on a double batch of Sacher Torte cookies!  

 I'm also beginning to plan and schedule December Daily posts here -- and hopefully in my Kitchen Table blog as well.  And I'm busy listing vintage Christmas cards in my Etsy shop.

So that's what's happening here as of November's Rudolph Day!  How are your Christmas preparations coming along?