“I made this for you, Mom…”
… some of the best words we moms have ever heard!
Pasta-plastered picture frames
Curiously-shaped stuffed animals
…a tiny hand-print made to look like a Thanksgiving turkey …
These are the gifts that our children bring home from school and excitedly (or shyly) present to us on those special days throughout the year.
These gestures are among the most treasured gifts we will ever receive.
Some of these gifts are affectionately stuck on the refrigerator or they are proudly displayed on the coffee table. …other gifts have a bit more utility and are put to immediate use. … like a recipe book!
For Mother’s Day one year, daughter Krissa brought home a ribbon-bound recipe book in which all her classmates had contributed a favourite family recipe. Her teacher had taken the time to type (Olivetti-Style) and photocopy all of these offerings, resulting in an eclectic compilation of all sorts of goodies …from stuffed mushroom caps, to scalloped potatoes, to 50 ways to change-up Jell-O! One recipe that caught my eye was ‘Muffins that Taste Like Donuts’.
This recipe was on the menu for our Mother’s Day breakfast (it was my day, after all) … and it was an immediate hit ..and it became a regularly requested item for our Sunday morning breakfast table.
Happy Mother’s Day!
Donut Muffins
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Baking Time: 15-18 minutes for regular muffins; 8-10 minutes for mini-muffins
Yield: 12-15 medium size muffins; or 24-30 mini muffins
Ingredients:
210 grams (1 ¾ cups) all purpose flour
¾ cup (150 g / 180 mL) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon (5 mL) salt
1 ½ teaspoons (7.5 mL) baking powder
½ teaspoon (2.5 mL) ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon (1.5 mL) ground cinnamon
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/3 cup (85 mL) grapeseed or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon (5 mL) pure vanilla
3/4 cup (180 mL) buttermilk
Topping:
1 teaspoon (5 mL) ground cinnamon
1/3 cup (85 mL) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (85 mL) melted unsalted butter
Method:
- Preheat oven to 350 0F (180 0C). Prepare a 12-cup muffin – or a mini-muffin pan – by spraying with a vegetable oil spray, or use individual paper muffin cups.
- In a small bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and spices. Stir to fully combine.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk egg and add oil and vanilla.
- Start incorporating the flour-sugar mixture into egg-oil mixture, by alternating the flour-sugar with the buttermilk – starting and ending with the flour-sugar mixture. Mix until just combined. Don’t over-mix.
- Fill the prepared muffin cups about ½ full. Don’t overfill – the muffins will look more ‘round’ if they are a little smaller. Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes (or 8-10 minutes for the mini’s), or until an inserted cake tester comes out clean.
- When muffins are cool enough to handle, remove from the pan or the paper liners. Finish with the topping while the muffins are still warm.
- Prepare topping: Mix together the cinnamon and sugar. Dip or brush the tops of the muffins with melted butter. Roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Questions or comments are always welcome alex@chilipeppersandpears.com
