Holiday Eggnog Mini Muffins With Honey Cinnamon Butter

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 34 cup sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 12 teaspoon salt
• 34 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 12 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 egg
• 1 34 cups high-quality prepared eggnog (Southern Comfort brand is good)
• 4 tablespoons golden rum or 2 teaspoons rum extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 12 cup vegetable oil or 12 cup melted butter
• 12 cup golden raisin
• soaked in
• 2 -3 tablespoons heated rum
• until plump
• 12 cup chopped pecans
• 12 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup butter
• room temperature
• 12 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon.
3. In a separate bowl, beat the egg and add in the eggnog, rum, vanilla and oil, beating well to combine.
4. Stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened (do not over beat).
5. Meanwhile soak the raisins in warmed, heated rum until plump (I heat the raisins & rum in the microwave until hot, then let sit for about 30 minutes or overnight).
6. Fold in the plumped rum-soaked raisins and the pecans.
7. Fill buttered or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full.
8. Sprinkle muffin tops with the combined sugar-nutmeg topping mixture.
9. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes (20 to 25 minutes for regular size muffins).
10. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to a wire rack.
11. Makes about 32 mini muffins, or 16 regular muffins.
12. To make honey cinnamon butter:.
13. Combine butter, honey and cinnamon in a small mixing bowl; beat until smooth.
14. Serve with muffins (also good with toast, bagels, French toast or pancakes).
15. Refrigerate any leftovers.
16. Yields 1 1/3 cups.