Gingerbread Muffins

Ok, well, my sink isn't clean right now, but that's only because I haven't finished cleaning everything up from these scrumptious gingerbread muffins! (Don't worry, I will clean it up. The dishwasher was just full right now.) Anyway, I found this really neat Bed & Breakfast recipe site. http://www.bbonline.com/recipe/index.html These muffins taste just like gingerbread. I cut the recipe in half because I didn't want that many muffins.

Gingerbread Muffins
(compliments of Bed & Breakfast of Summerville located in Summerville, SC)

1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup molasses
4 eggs
2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup raisins

In a mixing bowl, cream the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Dissolve the soda in a cup with the buttermilk. In a separate bowl, combine the flour with the spices and add the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Stir in the pecans and raisins. Store the batter in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, fill greased muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until done. For unchilled batter, reduce cooking time to 15 mins. Batter may be stored for several weeks in the refrigerator. Makes about 6 dozen muffins.

NOTES: I didn't have the pecans or the raisins, and I substituted margarine for shortening. I am not quite sure if the amount of batter I have will make 3 dozen muffins. I don't really think so. I think I'll be lucky if I get 2 dozen out of it. I haven't finished baking them out. I thought I would save the batter for later. The other thing about these instructions is that the recipe calls for molasses, but doesn't exactly tell you where to put it in, so I just put it in at the end. These are really yummy when warm.