When I was a little girl, I would sometimes help my mom make donuts. It was an event that didn’t happen often since it was a time-consuming process. We'd make dough, form donuts and fry them. After they had cooled on wire racks, we'd dip them in cinnamon and sugar or powdered sugar and enjoy a couple right away. It's a lovely memory.
Of course, in a world that seems to run a mile a minute, making donuts from scratch is an event that happens less and less often ... if at all. However, there is an easier way to recapture those memories and the lovely aroma that fills the kitchen when making donuts. This month, I offer my shortcut: Donut Muffins.
These muffins have the fluffy texture of a great cake donut without the fried exterior or fussy forming. They are simple muffins and can be enjoyed without the cinnamon-sugar topping ... but the topping makes them heavenly. I highly recommend trying them with it. They are also pretty good when dipped in powdered sugar, but my favorite is definitely the cinnamon-sugar ... warm out of the oven with a cup of cinnamon-vanilla coffee (coffee that's been brewed with a crushed cinnamon stick and vanilla bean). Now that's a great way to rekindle a pleasant memory! Enjoy.
As always, I encourage you to share your recipe ideas and comments. You can always post comments in the discussion board using the forms provided in the articles or email me directly at .
Donut Muffins
- 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
- 1/2 c. sugar
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1/4 c. melted butter
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 c. skim milk
- 1/4 c. sugar
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 2 T. melted butter
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place liners in a 12-cup muffin tin and lightly spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
Meanwhile, combine the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, salt and ground nutmeg in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Combine the 1/4 cup melted butter, egg, vanilla extract and skim milk in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
Fill the muffin liners about half full and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove the muffins to a wire wrack and cool slightly.
Combine the 1/4 cup sugar and ground cinnamon in a small custard container. Brush each muffin lightly with melted butter and dip into the sugar mixture. Serve warm.
These muffins are best served right away, but if you do serve them later, warm them gently in the microwave before serving.
- Yields: 12 muffins
- Preparation Time: 30 minutes