Doughnut Muffins

A friend of mine brought these muffins to a party and I couldn't stop thinking about them for weeks after. So I googled the recipe and later was given the book as a gift. If you look back in my posts in November you see I made Jam filled muffins. These both came from the same book. I feel it is great because it has at least 4 recipes that I have used and loved. That is my criteria for buying cookbooks and so far it has been wonderful. Below is the recipe off Williams-Sonoma website. The only thing I did different is that I made 18 mini muffins instead of 9 standard. I loved how they turned out and my family devoured them. I also popped them in the oven later to warm them up and they tasted just like a sugar doughnut fresh out of the oven. Try these and I bet your family and friends will also think they are delish.

Ingredients:

For the muffins:

• 7 Tbs. unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the topping:

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 Tbs. ground cinnamon
• 6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Grease 9 standard muffin cups with butter or butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray; fill the unused cups one-third full with water to prevent warping.

To make the muffins, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, combine the butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat well until pale and smooth.

In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Add to the butter mixture in 2 additions, alternating with the buttermilk and vanilla. Stir just until evenly moistened. The batter will be slightly lumpy.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each three-fourths full. Bake until the muffins are golden, dry and springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes (mini muffins for 15 min). Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Unmold the muffins and let stand until cool enough to handle.

To make the topping, in a small, shallow bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon. Put the melted butter in another small bowl. Holding the bottom of a muffin, dip the top into the melted butter, turning to coat it evenly. Immediately dip the top in the cinnamon-sugar mixture, coating it evenly, then tap it to remove excess sugar. Transfer the muffin, right side up, to the rack. Repeat with the remaining muffins. Let cool completely before serving. Makes 9 muffins.