Cinnamon Sugar Muffins
These Cinnamon Sugar Muffins were a hit with our tasting group. These nutmeg-scented breakfast treats are, while still warm from the oven, dipped in melted butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar.
The result? A soft, flavorful muffin with a delicately crisp, sweet exterior that pairs beautifully with strong morning coffee.
Buttermilk plays an important role in this muffin’s success. It weakens gluten formation, resulting in a softer, more tender crumb, while its subtle tang enhances overall flavor.
After several test bakes with other several versions of this recipe, I settled on this excellent one from Muffins, by Beth Hensperger, a WIlliams-Sonoma title.
Cinnamon Sugar Muffins
| Yield: 8 muffins | # of Servings: 8 | Method: Creaming | Difficulty: Easy |
Ingredients
1 ½ cups (7 oz / 198 g) all-purpose flour, sifted
1 ½ tsp (.25 oz / 7 g) baking powder
½ tsp (.10 oz / 3 g) baking soda
â…“ tsp (.10 oz / 2 g) salt
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
7 tbl (3.5 oz / 198 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
â…” cup (4.7 oz / 133 g) granulated sugar
1 egg, room temperature, lightly beaten
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
½ cup (4 fl oz) whole milk buttermilk, room temperature
Topping:
½ cup (3.5 oz / 99 g) granulated sugar
2 ½ tsp (xx oz / xx g) ground cinnamon (variable)
5 tbl (2.5 oz / 71 g) unsalted butter, melted
Special tools and equipment needed:
- One standard 12-well muffin tin
- Muffin pan liners
- 1 2â€, 1.55 oz scoop, optional
- Cooling rack
Pre-recipe preparations:
- Bring butter to room temperature (time depending on temperature of room)
- Bring egg and buttermilk to room temperature (approx. 20 minutes)
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
Directions
Baking:
- Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Set aside.Â
- Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Add egg and vanilla extract and beat until smooth. Scrape down the bowl, and mix to blend.
- Add the dry ingredients, in three stages, alternately with the buttermilk, in two stages, beginning and ending with the dry. Scarpe the bottom of the bowl and mix just to combine. Don’t overmix.
- Using a 1 2â€, 1.55 oz scoop or a quarter-cup measure, fill 8 standard muffin tins.
- Bake until just firm to the touch and a cake tester comes out just clean, approximately 18 to 22 minutes.
- Place pan on heatproof spot a kitchen counter or work table, Let cool for 5 minutes. Carefully unmold the muffins onto a cooling rack, and let stand just until cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes.
Finishing:
- Melt the butter.
- In small bowl, combine the sugar and ground cinnamon.
- Dip each muffin top first tin the melted butter, then in the sugar, then return right-side up to the cooling rack.
- Enjoy while warm or at room temperature. Store extra muffins at room temperature.
- Leftover may be wrapped well and frozen for up to one month. Reheat in a 350°F oven.
Baking tips:
- As with all creaming method cakes, room temperature butter is very important to allow for proper creaming of the butter, sugar, and eggs.
- 22 bite-sized muffins may be made by using one large mini-muffin tin for two small ones. Bake at 375°F until firm to the touch.
