Despite it's name, The Gingerbread Construction Co is not known for its gingerbread (nor for its construction) at least not among my kin. We go there for the muffins. Oh the muffins. Can they still be called muffins when they are as delectable as these guys?

Consider their orb-esque crowns blobbed over with frosting, or guillotined across to make room for fillings (custard, Boston cream, and chocolate anyone?) sprinkled with powdered sugar and other such nonsense.

Consider their variety of flavors from the regularly expected blueberry to the exotic orange almond.

Consider their other offerings such as the ubiquitous gingerbreads, loaves and freshly baked cookies (the chocolate chip variety employ hunks (and I do mean Hunks) of chocolate to further your chocolate-y pleasure).

I haven't tried all of the different flavors since I have a tough time venturing from my tried and true. Of their 19 flavors, I have tasted and love the carrot cake (loaded with chunks of raisins (fruity not dry and overly sweetened), nuts and carrots, topped with a creamy sweet cheesecake frosting) and the apple-n-spice (moist lightly spiced cake surrounding chunks of tangy sweet apples that are cooked to the right amount of softness without being too mushy). My husband of course always reaches for the chocolate dreme because he can't pass up chocolate frosting of any kind. My mother-in-law favors the cranberry walnut which I think I tried a bite of once. It looks great. And she also usually gets a corn muffin for someone in the group.

She usually gets a dozen for the family and we take them home to have with our tea. The left-overs keep well, they still taste great the next day. I find that I cannot eat a whole muffin but must cut mine in two.

There is no seating area at The Gingerbread Construction Co in Winchester which is the only one I've been to. The bakery glass display is always loaded with fresh-baked goods. I see from their website that they also deliver their gingerbread concoctions - something to try for the holidays? And there are plenty of tchotchkes to peruse through and buy, but really I am so focused on the muffins, I barely see anything else...