These muffins have a secret “savory” ingredient. Mustard powder adds the extra spice needed to put these muffins over the top.
I was inspired by the Mustard Gingerbread recipe from the Tassajara Bread cookbook, and after making a few alterations, these muffins have become one of my husband’s favorite breakfast foods for sure!
For those grinding your own flour, I started with about 8 ounces of whole barley.
I like Bob’s Red Mill Pearl Barley. For ground ginger root, Frontier and Penzey’s brands are both very good choices.
The amount of mustard and spices are dependent on how spicy you like it. If you are wary, start on the lower end and increase from there. I’ve found 1-1/2 tsp of powdered mustard and 2 tsp of powdered ginger are good quantities for us.
I’ve also added other spices like nutmeg and cardamom, but both are optional if you don’t have them in your pantry.
If you’d like to view the original recipe from the cook book, I found a version online.
- 1-3/4 cups barley flour (8 ounces)
- ½ cup AP flour
- 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cloves
- 1 tsp - 1 Tbsp powdered mustard (depending on how spicy you like it.)
- 2 heaping tsp ginger (or more + if you want to extra spicy)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- fresh ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup molasses
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract - optional
- ½ cup (80 grams) raisins - optional
- Preheat oven 350F
- In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and spices.
- Measure olive oil and molasses in small measuring cup and pour into stand mixing bowl. The molasses should pour easily from the oil-coated cup.
- Add eggs, milk and vanilla and mix together thoroughly with stand mixer
- Slowly add the dry flour mixture to the liquid and mix until just combined. The batter will be thick.
- Stir in raisins.
- Transfer batter into 12 muffin cups
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until muffins are set.
- Enjoy!
