Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Muffins

I usually try to make something yummy for the weekend but with my son's crazy sleep patterns (up every 2 hours), we are lucky to be awake and upright to eat something yummy.  I woke up a little later then a normal Sunday but I was still determined to make something.  I remembered a yummy recipe that I saw on Mary Ellen's site Whisked Together (http://whisktogether.wordpress.com/2012/02/19/doughnut-muffins/).  I don't know if I told you but I love everything that she makes... check out some of the new recipes and I am sure you will too!!!  Back to the muffins, I thought that it would be a hit with my son because he usually eats anything and everything covered in cinnamon and sugar.  I mixed it all up and it actually made 18 muffins for me too.  Usually, I make less than the recipe calls for because my muffin tins are a little bigger than others.  I made the first batch, per the recipe, only dipping the top in butter.  Since we have a shaker of cinnamon and sugar pre-mixed,  I just shook it on top (see it all over the plate).

 But we really like our cinnamon and sugar so I covered the whole muffin in butter and rolled it in the cinnamon sugar mixture.  They were super extra yummy like that :)

I changed the recipe a little and added cinnamon to batter since I love cinnamon.  I think that I might also add a little bit of cloves next time because I think that it might be my favorite spice.  I was also thinking about using a cinnamon powdered sugar mixture on the outside.  When I make doughnuts, I usually use the powdered sugar on the outside because it is my husbands favorite.  I hope that you try the recipe and make it your own (the way your family will like them)!!!  I think that you could add apples or chocolate chips to some of them to see how they turned out too.  I hope that you try them soon :)

 Doughnut Muffins
yield 18

¼ cup butter
¼ cup vegetable (or canola) oil
½ cup (3.5 oz.) sugar
1/3 cup (2.5 oz) brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground nutmeg ( I used 1.25 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg)½ tsp cinnamon

¾ tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
2 2/3 cup (11.25 oz)AP flour
1 cup milk

Coating:
1 1/2 Tbsp. melted butter
3 Tbsp. sugar mixed with 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Grease muffin pan.  

2.  In the mixing bowl, combine the butter, oil and sugars.

3.  Beat in the eggs.

4.  Add the baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, salt and vanilla.

5.  Alternately add the flour and milk in 3-4 installments.  Always always begin and end with the flour.

6.  Divide the batter between the 18 muffin cups.  

7.  Bake these for 15-17 minutes.  The toothpick test should be clean.

8.  After about 5 minutes, remove them from the hot pan and place on a wire rack.  When you can handle them, brush or dip the tops in butter.  Then, sprinkle or dip the tops in the cinnamon sugar mixture.  Serve warm.