Donut Muffins

I really do think these are better than donuts- and they're probably better for you, too (being homemade AND not fried).

They're tight crumbed in texture and have a nice crust... they're very reminiscent of cake donuts.

Mom used to make these sometimes when we were little.

They became lost in the annals of time, and in the recipe box, but I found them. Ta-da.

They've been resurrected (so to speak).

Breakfast, brunch, tea...

They're great warm just after they finish a little roll in cinnamon sugar, they're also nice the next day with a cup of coffee or tea (and a newspaper or book). I think nutmeg is what makes them so good.

It's originally a recipe from Grandma (she's a dietician- so these MUST be ok to eat, right?), but I had to tweak it a little. No, I'm not saying I know more than a dietician here. The original recipe said it made 12, but it only made eight when I tried it.

Maybe they're meant to be small and flattish, the batter having been divided into 12 parts, but I like muffins that are shaped like muffins (and that's the story of how 12 became eight, and how I decided that I really did want 12 to mean 12).

Just don't eat all 12.

I don't know if muffin tins have changed since the 1950s or so (could be)... but I wanted to bake a FULL regular-sized (not mini and not enormous), 12-hole muffin tin.

My thought? Why would you ever buy a donut? Um, I'm not really part of the donut fan club, but I do really like these.

Donut Muffins

makes 12

1/2 c (1 stick) butter, softened

1 1/2 c sugar

1 XL egg

3/4 c milk

2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

2 c flour

generous 1/4 t nutmeg

generous 1/2 c sugar

generous 1 t cinnamon

7 T melted butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and milk and mix well. Mix/sift dry ingredients in a separate bowl. With the mixer on low speed slowly add the flour mixture into the butter and sugar. Mix just until combined. Divide evenly among well-greased muffin tins.

Bake about 25 minutes. If it looks like the bottom/sides are getting brown too quickly, turn the oven down to 350 degrees.

While the muffins bake, melt the extra 7 T butter. Set aside and make sure it doesn't cool too quickly. You want it to stay liquid!

Mix the extra sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl.

Carefully pop the muffins out of the tin. While still very warm (but when you can handle them without scalding yourself), quickly dip/roll each muffin in butter (you don't want them soaking up butter here), and then dip/roll them in cinnamon sugar.