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Blueberry Mini Muffins and Other Sweet Treats for the Holidays

12/18/2015

34 Comments

 
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Hopefully, I will find some time for baking my favorite sweet treats for Christmas. Last year, I baked up a storm, packed most of it to take to the mountains where we have celebrated Christmas many times. As we left on December 23, I got messages from my niece saying that my 91-year-old mother had fallen down and was on her way to the hospital with a fractured hip. I made my poor husband turn around and was on a plane to Germany the next day, December 24, arriving in Germany on Christmas Day. My mom by then had peacefully passed away with my brother's family around her.  
​I took a tin of cookies with me sharing them at the airline ticket counter and later in Germany. They were a connection to my life in California. Food can be so comforting and nourishing. As long as I can remember, I have baked goodies for the holidays. I don't always bake the same things. My Christmas recipe folder is bulky. Depending on how I feel, I bake different things, some of which I haven't posted yet. For my girlfriend, Marie, I bake the hazelnut 
meringue cookies (click for recipe here). My husband's favorite treat are his mom's sugar cookies that my sister-in-law bakes every year for him. His second favorite are my chocolate chip walnut bars (click for recipe here). I like gingerbread cookies, but nobody else does, so I don't make them very often. My Vienna vanilla nut cookies remind me of my childhood (click for recipe here). 
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My fruit and nut chocolate chunks are a healthy and tasty treat. Click here for the recipe.
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 I enjoy making individual graham cracker gingerbread house ornaments with  young children. These cute little ornaments are a lot of fun and children just love them (click  here for the recipe ).
Another staple in my family have been blueberry mini-muffins.These tiny muffins have a crunchy almond sugar flavor with a burst of blueberries and lemon. The recipe comes from an old Gourmet recipe and is my son's favorite.
Preview Recipe for Blueberry Mini Muffins
I hope your holidays are filled with warmth and happiness.
Gerlinde
34 Comments
Deb|EastofEdenCooking link
12/18/2015 11:40:36 am

What a scrumptious post Gerlinde! Yes to the sweet Blueberry Muffins and memories! Sending you sweet hugs all wrapped up in comfort that as time passes your memories of last year at Christmas will soften with time. This is the second Christmas without my mom and I still very much miss her. It was her favorite time of year. I know she would want me to find joy and be happy. I'm sure you mom wants the same for you!

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Gerlinde
12/20/2015 08:27:38 am

Thank you so much for your sweet reminder to find joy and happiness. I appreciate your caring and love, that's what Christmas is all about. I hope that your Christmas is full of love and joy. Hugs !

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Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen link
12/18/2015 12:48:09 pm

Oh my Gerlinde, these all look like such wonderful holiday treats! I totally agree that food can be so comforting. I also find certain foods remind me of special people in my life and bring back such wonderful memories. Those gingerbread house ornaments are totally adorable! Hope you enjoy your weekend!

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Gerlinde
12/20/2015 08:34:34 am

Thank you so much Mary Ann, have a great Christmas with the people you love around you and the delicious food you prepared.

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Jo Nell Huff link
12/18/2015 02:49:30 pm

Thanks for stopping by my humble blog to leave a comment. I do get your posts via -email and enjoy them but I haven't been commenting. So I must look closer for a place to comment. May this Christmas be a better one for you and your family. Merry Christmas and good things to you in 2016!

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Gerlinde
12/20/2015 09:17:04 am

Thanks for stopping by at my humble blog. I enjoyed the You Tube video and posted it on Facebook. It is cute. Have a joyous Christmas filled with warmth and happiness.

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suzanne link
12/18/2015 04:02:14 pm

Gerlinde I love all those wonderful sweet treats.Those muffins look amazing, I just love blueberry muffins. I like to change it up a bit every year keeping some of the same things year after year but always trying something new, I love your gingerbread house, So festive and beautiful.

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Suzanne
12/20/2015 08:47:49 am

Thanks Suzanne, I enjoy making the gingerbread house ornaments with kids. It's a great project and puts me in a festive mood. Have a Christmas filled with warmth and love.

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Penny link
12/18/2015 06:27:44 pm

Gerlinde, I do believe you and I would would get into also sorts of baking frenzies if we lived close. Your baking sounds much like mine, and even some cookies the same. I bake my husband's great aunt's molasses cookies, with lots of ginger, every Christmas, along with his mother's caramels, and then my Greek recipes and a few others that come my way. I think Christmas baking not only fills us with the scents and tastes of the season, but, brings our family, especially those no longer with us, close.
I'm sure there will be sad moments for you this year, Gerlinde. You will be in my thoughts.

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Gerlinde
12/20/2015 08:54:01 am

Thank you Penny, you are so sweet and I would love to bake cookies with you. You are so right about the scents and tastes of different foods that keep the memories alive. Enjoy the season and have fun with your grandchildren.

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Penny link
12/18/2015 06:30:25 pm

Me, again. I just HAD to tell you that your recipe for fruit and nut chocolate chunks is STILL on my bookmarked roll, waiting, a year later, to be made. Just bought the chocolate this afternoon.

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Gerlinde
12/20/2015 08:54:41 am

I hope you enjoy it Penny.

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Anne link
12/19/2015 01:50:29 pm

omg this looks so delicious! Those muffins are so pretty and those cookies seem absolutely irresistible! And yes to food bringing back memories -my favorite part of food actually!

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Gerlinde
12/20/2015 08:57:25 am

My problem is that I love to eat and taste everything within reach.

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Tricia link
12/20/2015 04:58:12 am

Looks like you have been very busy Gerlinde! The muffins are keepers - they look perfect. Wanted to stop by and wish you a very Merry Christmas!

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Gerlinde
12/20/2015 09:12:05 am

Thank you Tricia, have a Merry Christmas and enjoy your grandchildren.

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Mimi link
12/20/2015 01:15:49 pm

You have incredible baking skills!!!

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Gerlinde
12/22/2015 09:41:04 am

Thank you Mimi.

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Maureen | Orgasmic Chef link
12/20/2015 01:28:49 pm

What a whirlwind last year was for you. May this year bring nothing but joy and fabulous food - and maybe a few presents. I LOVE those blueberry muffins. When you make them mini style, it removes all the calories, or so I've been told.

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Gerlinde
12/22/2015 09:44:21 am

That's right Maureen, no calories if you make them small or eat them standing up. A healthy and Happy New Year to you and your loved ones.

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Gerlinde in Washington link
12/20/2015 03:28:19 pm

I have to say those hazelnut cookies look divine. Wishing you all the Best for the Holidays. Gerlinde

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Gerlinde
12/22/2015 09:47:27 am

I like the hazelnut cookies and they are easy to make.This year I made them using almond flour and I didn't like them as much as the hazelnut ones. Fröhliche Weinachten and a happy and healthy New Year.

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Karen (Back Road Journal) link
12/21/2015 01:23:51 pm

This is the first year that I didn't do any holiday baking as we will be traveling. Your Christmas cookie platter looks great…I would have a hard time trying to decide which to take if it was passed to me. Merry Christmas.

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Gerlinde
12/22/2015 09:48:59 am

That's the problem Karen, I usually try all of them. A happy and healthy New Year in your new house.

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sippitysup link
12/22/2015 08:29:43 am

The joys and pains of life can come at anytime of the year. These sweet treats are a reminder of that. GREG

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Gerlinde
12/22/2015 10:05:28 am

Isn't that the truth Greg, I wish someone had told me that when I was young.

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Virginia Lee
12/23/2015 09:59:39 am

What would Christmas be without you? Not to mention all the other celebrations with delicious food throughout the year...thank you for nourishing our souls:)

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Gerlinde
12/24/2015 06:50:47 am

Thank you Virginia

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Carina link
1/2/2016 12:40:20 am

Gerlinde, ich bins wieder:) I tried to explain to him and our 2 grown up daughters what I mean by "Weihnachtsteller" and....my luck, I just saw yours. Delicious! I have only one big problem, I am a good cook, but I can not bake!! And husband Jo wants 'frisches deutsches Brot' to go with his daily curries. The recipes I googled, all look so difficult to me or take too much time. I am in a kitchen with 35 C - and can only get 2 kind of flour "Atta or Maida". Frage, koennen Sie hier helfen, bitte!!!" But now I have to go and look at some more of your recipes.

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Gerlinde
1/2/2016 05:29:54 pm

Hi Carina, ich backe zwar sehr gerne aber Brot habe ich schon ewig nicht mehr gebacken. Wir haben hier in Santa Cruz gute Bäcker und sehr gutes Brot. Ich werde mal gucken und sehen ob ich etwas finde. Es tut mir leid!

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Gerlinde
1/2/2016 06:37:25 pm

Here is a link to some good bread recipes
http://figjamandlimecordial.com/bread/
Good luck

Fae's Twist & Tango link
1/12/2016 12:43:33 pm

I love the kinds of sweets you have presented here. The blueberry mini muffins is so adorable!

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Gerlinde
1/13/2016 12:48:06 am

Thank you Fae

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Teagan
1/14/2016 10:24:33 am

What a beautiful collection of treats! Mouth-watering. Hugs!

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