Doughnut Muffins

A few nights ago I was flipping channels on t.v. when I came across "the best thing I ever ate" show on Food Network. The truth be told I really don't care for this show but I watched in delicious amazement as one of the celebrity chefs described the Doughnut Muffins from The Downtown Bakery & Creamery in Healdsburg, Ca. My eyes transfixed on these tasty looking morsels I decided I must create my own, but in mini-muffin form. As I mentioned a few posts ago I am perennially looking for an easier and somewhat healthier way to make doughnuts at home.
Let me just tell you that these are better than any doughnut I have EVER had. While watching the show the host mentioned how the muffins are heavily flavored with nutmeg so with that in mind I started developing my recipe. I suppose a simple google search would turn up this recipe but I am always up for a challenge and wanted to see if I could replicate them myself.

Doughnut Muffins:
1 1/2 sticks butter
1 C.Sugar
2 eggs
3 c. All purpose flour (I use King Arthur brand and will NEVER use anything else!)
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. Baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. FRESH grated nutmeg
1 C. milk
1/8 C. buttermilk*
1 tsp. pure vanilla

For dipping:
1 stick melted butter
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp Cinnamon

* I make my own by adding about a tsp of vinegar to milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes.

Pre-heat oven to 350

Cream butter and sugar in mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add in 1 egg at a time just until it is incorporated.Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg in separate bowl.  In another bowl mix milk, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Here's where it gets confusing but stick with me it makes a big difference! With the mixer running on low speed alternate adding the milk mixture and the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar in thirds starting with the milk mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Mix until smooth but do not overmix, the batter should seem sorta dry and sticky.

Sticky muffin batter

Spoon the batter into greased muffin tins. I used my brand spankin' new mini-muffin tin, Thanks again Momma!

Bake the muffins until golden brown,  you want to bake them a little longer than you normally would so they do not crumble while you roll them in the sugar. Mine came out looking like cornbread muffins, if that helps. While they bake melt your butter in the microwave in a small bowl. Next mix sugar and cinnamon in another bowl

once the muffins are cool enough to pick up but still very warm you are ready to roll them. I let mine sit to cool for about 5 minutes. Dip a pastry brush in butter and brush it all over muffin. drop warm buttery muffin into sugar mixture and roll it around to coat completely. Transfer to large plate and continue brushing and rolling the tiny muffins. I like to toss them in sugar 3 at a time to minimize the mess.

                                      

Now is the best part grab yourself a hot cuppa coffee, or tea, and indulge! This recipe made about 48 tiny muffins but you could also use a standard size muffin tin and make about 24.

And just because I'm crazy and I already had the oven cranking I also whipped up some blueberry muffins with the fantastic organic blueberries I bought yesterday.

 Now I'm off to deliver some warm doughnut muffins to Orion's school.

I'm linking this post up to the recipes section for the 

Saturday Nite Special link up party

Funky Junk

Peace help yourself to another!