One of my favorite, newer cookbooks is Ree Drummond’s The Pioneer Woman Cooks. She provides everyday recipes with beautiful step-by-step pictures. Many of the recipes are old family favorites including one for French Breakfast Puffs which are wonderful little confections. I saw these again in a little bakery when we vacationed in Eureka Springs, Arkansas – except that they were called Doughnut Muffins.
Where have I been? Turns out that these lovely, little baked goods have been around for decades. Older recipes use shortening, and newer recipes use vegetable oil. Either way, they are easy to make and are reminiscent of Old Fashioned Cake Doughnuts. In fact, one story that I read stated that these were first made using cake doughnut batter with extra liquid added.
I made cake doughnuts awhile back. The common denominator in all cake doughnut recipes is the nutmeg which is also found in Doughnut Muffins.
I even made mini cake doughnuts and coated them in chocolate. I was trying to replicate the “waxy chocolate donuts” that you buy in the store. My kids love ’em. These were a replica – only much better.
Doughnut Muffins are infinitely easier to make than Old Fashioned Cake Doughnuts so there’s no excuse not to try ’em today! Here is a step-by-step of a recipe using vegetable oil since I think it, rather than shortening, is more commonly found in today’s pantries.
Doughnut Muffin ingredients. Note: you will need 1-1/2 sticks of butter.
Preheat the oven to 350°.  Prepare the muffin tin by coating generously with cooking spray. You do not want to use cupcake liners for these.
Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a bowl with a whisk until well combined.
Beat together the oil, sugar, egg, and milk until well combined.
Dump the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir just until combined.  DO NOT overbeat. You do not want muffin tops!
The batter exactly fills 12 muffins cups. I love when a recipe works out perfectly like this! Put into the preheated oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
While the Doughnut Muffins are baking, melt your butter and prepare your cinnamon sugar. You will dredge the muffins right out of the oven!
They are the perfect size, too. Pop them out of the muffin tin right away.
Drop them one-by-one into the melted butter and be sure to completely coat the entire muffin. Then drop the buttery muffins into the cinnamon sugar and completely coat the entire muffin. Lick your fingers after!
These may be served warm or after they are cooled.
Yummy!
Doughnut Muffins Makes 12 muffins, easy peasy 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour For the topping: 1-1/2 sticks (or 12 TB) of butter Preheat oven to 350°. Using cooking spray, thoroughly coat a 12 portion cupcake / muffin tin. Do not line with paper liners. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a bowl and mix well with a whisk. In a separate bowl, combine oil, sugar, egg, and milk. Beat well. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix only until combined. You will have exactly enough batter to make 12 standard size muffins. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. While muffins are baking, melt butter in a bowl. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a separate bowl. When muffins are finished baking and while still hot, remove from the muffin tin. Dip each muffin in the melted butter completely coating the entire muffin. Then roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture and place on a serving plate.
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup whole milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 TB cinnamon
