Thanksgiving Muffins & Mimosas

What are a few things I certainly give thanks for? That’s right. Muffins & Mimosas.

As a food and wine lover I can truthfully say that a morning starts off on the best note when muffins & mimosas are included. Brunch is easily one of the best meals you can go out and enjoy with friends and family. However, we don’t eat brunch in my household too often unless it’s a holiday. You can make your holiday brunch at-home just as good as any restaurant! Find a tasty mimosa recipe, whip up some eggs, and have fresh baked muffins waiting on the table.

Celebrate in true Thanksgiving fashion with the seasonal flavors of cranberry, walnut, brown sugar, and just a lil’ prosecco to awaken those taste buds. Below I have gone step-by-step through some of my favorite fall brunch recipes!

Thanks to A Beautiful Mess for the Prosecco and Cranberry Mimosa recipe and to Food & Wine for their unique take on a Cranberry Walnut muffin.

Prosecco and Cranberry Mimosa

This is a simple and delicious mimosa recipe that anyone can make. There are only two key ingredients which are the Prosecco (of course) and cranberry juice. The cranberry and thyme are simply used to garnish the drinks for a little pizazz. The garnish is what makes them ‘picture perfect’!

  • Prosecco
  • Cranberry Juice
  • Thyme
  • Cranberries

2 Parts Prosecco, 1 Part Cranberry Juice

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Garnish with Thyme and Cranberries

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There is a mocktail recipe available on the webpage A Beautiful Mess which I have linked to above. For families with small kids, large-scale gatherings, or for those who don’t drink alcohol the flavor is very similar but the Prosecco is swapped out for a few other easy ingredients.

Cranberry Muffins with Walnut Crumb Topping

Muffins scrumptious, soft, and delicious. They are my favorite breakfast treat! Muffins can go one of two ways: 1) Hard, dense, and dry or 2) Soft, moist, and full of flavor. It is important to find a recipe that does this for you! Make sure you properly measure out all of the required ingredients and don’t overbake them. This recipe turns out the type of muffin you could eat an entire tray of (or maybe that’s just me). These will be a crowd-pleaser!

Ingredients

Crumb Topping
  • 1/4 cup walnut pieces
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

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Before we begin… Heat the oven to 425 and grease or put muffin cups into a 12-cup muffin pan

Step 1: Toast walnuts in a pie pan until they are browned and fragrant; let cool

Step 2: Mix flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt

Step 3: Melt, cool, and stir in the butter

Step 4: Pour in the walnuts and gently pinch the mixture into clumps

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WARNING: The crumb topping on these muffins looks and smells so wonderful that your guests may be tempted to eat the topping off of the muffin first. You must be ready to slap a few hands away. They come out of the oven and before you know it you have bare muffins. Nobody wants that! It is what gives the muffin it’s crunch and nutty flavor.

Muffins
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

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Step 1: Mix flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and a pinch of salt

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Step 2: In a separate bowl mix the yogurt, egg, and butter

Step 3: Gradually stir the dry mixture into the wet mixture for even batter texture

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Step 4: Toss cranberries into the 1.5 tablespoons of remaining sugar then fold into the batter

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Step 5: Using a spoon, carefully divide the batter amongst each opening in the tray

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Step 6: Press the crumb mixture onto the muffin batter and adhere as much as possible

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Step 7: Bake for 20 minutes; Let cool for 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack or removing from pan

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 Glaze

  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons water

This is the easiest glaze recipe I have ever made. It took less than 5 minutes to whip up and tasted nice and sugary. The flavor of this glaze is perfect when combined with the bitterness of the cranberry. They flavors make for a wonderful balance!

Step 1: Mix confectioners sugar with water until smooth and runny

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Step 2: Drizzle over the muffins and let set for a moment

Step 3: Enjoy your muffins now (toasty & warm) or later!

A warm, drizzled glaze makes these muffins mouthwatering. Not all muffins have a glaze, but those that do are extra special.

These muffins can be served cold or warm (aka fresh out the ol’ oven). I recommend the latter. When the glaze and the core of your muffin is still warm it is perfection. Especially on these chilly fall mornings… warm up with a muffin, a mimosa, and a couple shots of stove-top espresso! You will be ready to tackle this Thanksgiving with enthusiasm!

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Are you bringing these muffins out of the house? Consider dressing them up as sweet turkeys! I got this adorable set at the grocery store and it was made for exactly one dozen!

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(Obviously I can’t post a baking blog without the classic photo of me chowing down)

… and who says baking can’t be fun?


I would love to hear your thoughts on this recipe and your suggestions about what I can concoct next!

~ Happy Thanksgiving ~

Check out the full recipes and reviews here on Food & Wine’s website.