Thoughts can be discussed via email...no spoilers from me! (at least until Thursday-ish)
Recipe challenge, week twenty.
It's a teeny bit lopsided there.
In May 2011, we took a trip to Fairbanks for our anniversary. We stopped in Talkeetna, Alaska to spend the night. For coffee in the morning, we went to the Flying Squirrel Bakery and had some donut muffins. They were huge and I'm pretty sure there is still cinnamon sugar in the cupholders of that Hyundai Sonata (wherever it may be).
I will say that I would not classify myself as a pastry person. I don't eat a lot of donuts because I just don't see the point. Like, if I want dessert, I'll have dessert. If I want breakfast, I'll have breakfast. I don't really see the need to combine the two. A semi-responsible breakfast is a license to eat dessert anyway. You start the day off right...and it all goes downhill from there.
However, I will always remember that fluffy, sweet donut muffin. When a dear blog friend (who no longer blogs...ahem) suggested I try out one of those donut recipes she'd been making lately, I decided to adapt one of them and change them into muffins. Per usual, I felt the need to make things a little healthier...because it is breakfast after all. Or Saturday night dinner in my case. Oh well.
If you're a hypochondriac like I am*, and feel the need to limit dairy intake, this is the recipe for you. It's dairy-free and can probably be tweaked to vegan with a flax-egg.
*Or a person with a legitimate dairy allergy. I do not believe I have a serious intolerance and I understand that many people do. End of disclaimer.
Maple Donut Muffins
makes 6 muffins or 12 mini-muffins
loosely adapted from this recipe
1 cup flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/8 t. salt
1/2 cup milk + 1 t. apple cider vinegar (I used unsweetened coconut milk)
1 egg
1 T. oil
1/2 t. vanilla
1/2 t. maple extract
1/4 cup sugar
Melted butter spread (or just butter) for brushing
Cinnamon/sugar for sprinkling
In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients and toss together lightly. Add in the milk, egg, oil, extracts, and sugar. With a hand mixer, blend well to get out all the lumps.
Spoon into a greased muffin pan and bake at 375 for 20 minutes. When a toothpick comes out clean, they are done. Before removing from the pan, brush the tops with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar. Let cool.
These taste best right away, when the tops are nice and crispy. The flavor is still there the next day, but the crispiness isn't there. But this is probably because I stored them in a container with a cover.
