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PLEASE PLEASE SEND ME the recipe for ginger muffins. I don't mind deformed anything if it tastes that good--That's what she said in the email.

So I gingerly tiptoed back for a peek at myself subsequent to feasting upon those muffins. And there I was, singing their lavish praises all right, raving and enthusiastic and glowing and...oh, wait a minute, that was the muffins glowing. But you know, Dear Reader, I appeared to be dancing in a flowery skirt, tossing rose petals in the air, and nearly swooning in my delight. And, well. Hmm. Take away that glass of silky organic wine I'd just imbibed and they were likely merely very good muffins. Of course they were! Very good muffins!

And with a flounce and a curtsy, I give you--The Recipe:

GINGER MUFFINS

1 & 1/2 Cups of all-purpose flour (or if you wish to try for deformities, Dear Reader, you could use one cup of rice flour, a bit of oat flour and finish off with pastry flour)
1/2 Cup Molasses
1/4 Cup Shortening (I scooped from one of the tubs of "buttery spread" I'm trying to finish off and remove from the fridge. To be precise, I scooped a hunk from the tub of fake butter using the quarter-cup measure, and then filled in the leftover space in the cup with olive oil. Enough detail?)
1/4 Cup Sugar
1 Medium Egg
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
Pinch of Salt
Hot Water (Try not to get yourself into it, Dear Baker of Ginger muffins)

And then the How-To:

Cream together the shortening and sugar (This will be the add-to bowl).
Beat in the egg, then the molasses.
Sift the dry ingredients and stir it all
into the molasses mixture. Gradually add the hot water,
keeping it all smooth and mellow and satiny and soft and ...

Whoops, where did I go?
Add Raisins and Crystallized Ginger Chips if you've got them (You'd do well to keep your fingers out of the Crystallized Ginger Chips while you've got the container open, however, as the little buggers are horribly addictive!)
Fill the greased muffin cups and bake at 375 degrees for approx. 25 minutes.

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(I sincerely hope, Dear Reader, that thirty-five minutes from now you're clutching your skirts and doing a jig. If not, try eating a dollop of fudge-ripple ice cream with one of the still-warm muffins.)

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