In an old Russian movie, a man is shopping for a birthday present. He can’t find anything suitable – no wonder, under the communist regime, there was nothing suitable in the stores, since all the good stuff was sold out of the back door for several times the official price. Exhausted and frustrated, he wanders into a consignment shop. Suddenly he spots a beautiful antique figurine of a Greek victory goddess Nike, complete with glorious wings. He requests to see it, he turns it around, examines it from all angles, and finally asks the clerk, “Would you happen to have another one like that but without the wings?”
I recalled this episode when I read a scrumptious recipe by Carol of https://cookingforthetimechallenged.wordpress.com. Carol is a wonderful person, an amazing parent, and an incredibly creative cook. I wanted to bake her cinnamon muffins right away, but there was one important change I absolutely had to make – chocolate! My Own Rules of Dessert clearly state: It’s not a dessert if it’s not chocolate!
So I took Carol’s recipe and knocked the wings off: used xylitol instead of sugar and soy milk instead of regular milk, and I made chocolate frosting instead of cinnamon glaze. Here is the original recipe, and please come back for my chocolate frosting recipe, if you are interested.
Carol’s Cinnamon Muffins
For some reason, Raizel has been obsessed with cinnamon. My niece, “Yo-Yo” (this is short for Yocheved) gave me a great recipe for Cinnamon Pull Apart Buns when we went to visit my sister 2 weeks ago for Chanukah.
I have to share how much my niece, Yo-Yo is growing up to be a delightful young woman. Similar to my sister, Raizel, Yo-Yo has developed a passion for baking. The 2 of us enjoyed reading and discussing various cookbooks and recipes. She is truly my sister’s daughter.
However, since I am time challenged, I decided to experiment with this faster Cinnamon Muffin recipe instead. Hopefully, it will satisfy Raizel’s craving for cinnamon. If not, stay tuned for Yo-Yo’s Cinnamon Pull Apart Buns.
Continue to the original post.
Chocolate Frosting
INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/2 cup softened Smart Balance or butter substitute of your choice
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 4 cups xylitol
- 1/2 cup soy milk or milk substitute of your choice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla essence
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
PROCEDURE
Cream Smart Balance with xylitol, add the rest of ingredients.
Enjoy!
what was the film?
LikeLiked by 2 people
I wish I could remember the name of it; it was more than 40 years ago…
LikeLiked by 1 person
hmmm soviet cinema was at a peak
LikeLiked by 1 person
Definitely. It was a comedy, and I think it was Yuri Yakovlev in the lead, but my husband thinks it was Andrei Mironov. I’ll find out and let you know.
LikeLiked by 2 people
[ Smiles ] Hey, you will have to veganize that for me.
LikeLike
That’s easy! Use egg substitute. Sorry, I just found your comment!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Such a funny story!
Chocolate and cinnamon go so well together, so I’m sure the result was very tasty. 🙂
LikeLiked by 4 people
Thank you Ronit, it was – gobbled up, that is! Especially with those monster blackberries on top.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I say that you are the creative one. You have taken a simple muffin to a whole new level. This even looks beautiful! I love the frosting and the blackberry. Yum!
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thank you, but it was your recipe to begin with, so the credit goes to you!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Great minds think alike?😉
LikeLiked by 2 people
🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for sharing, love muffins and will have some sort of muffin in the house at qny given moment.
Oh, do you know the muffin man / lady???
LikeLiked by 3 people
Do I know whom?
LikeLike
The muffin lady…. I am a muffin-holic, so the muffin lady 😉😉, you the funky cat 😻😻
LikeLiked by 2 people
I see. I am a chocoholic funky cat, then.
LikeLiked by 1 person
🌟🌟
LikeLiked by 1 person
You left me in suspense! Did the shopkeeper have one without wings?
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hi Mel, it’s Nike – she doesn’t exist without wings!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Lol!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Otherwise what would Michael Jordan do?!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Perfect illustration!
Must be the engineer in me. I connected with the character’s mindset (and yours) right away , I thought, “there must be a way we can improve on this perfection?” (smile)
LikeLiked by 2 people
LOL
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clever anecdote to introduce the changes in the recipe. I usually take the wings off too — and did, even before I started eating Gluten Free. That’s half the fun of cooking.
xx,
mgh
(Madelyn Griffith-Haynie – ADDandSoMuchMore dot com)
– ADD Coach Training Field founder; ADD Coaching co-founder –
“It takes a village to educate a world!”
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank YOU!
xx, mgh
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love this.
Saw Carol’s recipe a while ago.. You’re both amazing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much, but all the credit goes to Carol!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yum, Dolly!! I have to agree with your rules of Dessert!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yay!! Chocolate rules!
LikeLike
Carol’s muffins looked great (although apparently not as good as Raizel’s buns) but chocolate! I hear angels singing! Darn! Now I’m going to have to make both!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! Chocolate rules!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow – I could actually eat that frosting because it is sugar free – Xylitol is the only sugar substitute that taste good to me. Will be trying this for sure. Thank you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I feel the same about xylitol. Thank you for your kind comment – I am glad you like it!
LikeLike
Devorah, Dolly. You have brought us to your kitchen wanting more. Your rendition of these Cinnamon buns is to die for. We loved the intro about the man wanting the wings removed. Can’t wait to try another recipe but not until I finish the last bun on the plate.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Tom and Audrey, thank you so much for your kind words! If you have made these little treats, I hope Emma also got some!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Emma got a nibble, lol
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good – I was worried!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on Die Erste Eslarner Zeitung – Aus und über Eslarn, sowie die bayerisch-tschechische Region!.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for reblogging.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hello, thank you very much for your always funny, informative and delicious postings. Sorry, last time i lost the overview inside the WP-system. Have a nice week. 😉 Michael
LikeLiked by 1 person
Michael, you are very kind! Have a great week. 😻
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! Wish you also a good week. Now we can count the hours. LOL 😉 Michael
LikeLiked by 1 person
True that! 😻
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on koolkosherkitchen and commented:
January is a National Baking month, but for me, with my husband’s sweet tooth, every month is a baking month and every week is a baking week. Enjoy these delicious muffins inspired by a great blogofriend Carol.
LikeLike
Thank you for pingback.
LikeLike
Humor makes the hard times a bit easier. I’m afraid I’d be adding more ‘wings’ to the recipe rather than taking them off. Sugar, butter and milk all the way. I got a sweet craving this evening and made a small batch of butter tarts (leftover pie crust pastry from the freezer). Ate 2 of them while they were still hot from the oven and soft. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lucky you – sugar, butter, and milk! I compensated for all this good stuff yesterday by baking challahs with chocolate chips (dark, unsweetened!).
LikeLiked by 1 person
I liked the cat lurking around 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! There are always cats lurking somewhere in my house! 😻
LikeLike
While it is hard to top chocolate, I am a great fan of cinnamon. My grandmother would flavor farina w/ cinnamon sugar for us as children. The memory is now as sweet as the farina was. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hated farina as a child, and my grandmother also flavored it with cinnamon. As a result, I still hate farina, but love cinnamon. My husband, though, doesn’t really like cinnamon, so I put it into everything, as it eats up cholesterol, but I disguise it with chocolate.
LikeLiked by 1 person