Rum Raisin Muffins

If you don't have time for the traditional Christmas Cake but feel you might be missing out...try these little delights. Baked in a muffin tin, these are more like mini cakes than a traditional muffin. However, serving them for a brunch with a nice cuppa wouldn't be all that bad either.

This is a recipe from a book which a friend gave me ...just in time for Christmas baking.
"Muffins - sweet and savory comfort food"@2008

Ingredients

1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup dried currants
1/2 cup dark rum or 2 tbsp rum extract plus 1/4 cup water
2 cups flour ( I used 1 1/2 cup white and 1/2 cup whole wheat)
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking pwd.
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (I added 1/2 tsp cinnamon)
6 tbsp softened butter
1 cup sour cream
1 egg room temperature
3/4 tsp. vanilla

Glaze:

1/3 cup icing sugar (pwd. sugar)
a few drops of fresh lemon juice.

In a small bowl cover the rains and currants in rum and soak overnight, stirring occasionally.

Preheat oven to 400 ( My oven is always hotter so I use 375F) Spray muffins tins with nonstick spray or use muffin liners. Drain the raisin/currant mixture and reserve the extra rum.

Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg in a large bowl. Cut in butter until coarse meal forms. Mix in the pre-soaked raisin and currant mixture. In a small bowl whisk the sour cream, egg, vanilla and 2 tbsp. of the reserved rum until smooth. Stir into the flour mixture until just moistened. Fill the muffin cups to 3/4 full. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

To make the glaze, combine the icing sugar and lemon juice together with about 1 tbsp of the reserved rum. Drizzle the thin glaze over the slightly cooled muffins. Makes about 12 to 16 muffins depending on how big you make them.