Cinnamon Buttermilk Muffins

One last post before I take off for Minnesota tonight!

I only ended up with about 5 of these (PW Spreads again)...the narrow eastern edges and the little bump on the northern border liked to break off and I gave up and cut the rest into squares. Oh well, at least I got to use the MN cookie cutter I've had for three years...even though Shaun said it just looked like someone took a bite out of a regular cookie, haha. Anyway...

I made Cinnamon Buttermilk Muffins for breakfast over the 4th of July weekend to use up some of the leftover buttermilk I bought for making cupcakes. I had made them once before and they were so good that now when I buy buttermilk, I anticipate making these almost as much as the cupcakes! I found the recipe at Annie's Eats, and it's originally from Williams Sonoma. I had similar results to Annie - I got 10 muffins rather than 9, and the butter/sugar/cinnamon topping amounts listed were way more than I needed.

These are a quick, easy, and YUMMY breakfast treat!

Cinnamon Buttermilk Muffins

7 Tbs. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg (I used ground)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the topping:
2/3 cup sugar
1 Tbs. ground cinnamon (I halved the cinnamon/sugar mixture and still had a bit left over)
6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted (I used about 2 Tbs. salted since I ran out of unsalted)

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Grease 9-10 standard muffin cups with butter or butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray; fill the unused cups one-third full with water to prevent warping.

To make the muffins, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, combine the butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat well until pale and smooth.

In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Add to the butter mixture in 2 additions, alternating with the buttermilk and vanilla. Stir just until evenly moistened. The batter will be slightly lumpy.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each three-fourths full. Bake until the muffins are golden, dry and springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Unmold the muffins and let stand until cool enough to handle.

To make the topping, in a small, shallow bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon. Put the melted butter in another small bowl. Holding the bottom of a muffin, dip the top into the melted butter, turning to coat it evenly. Immediately dip the top in the cinnamon-sugar mixture, coating it evenly, then tap it to remove excess sugar. Transfer the muffin, right side up, to the rack. Repeat with the remaining muffins. Let cool completely before serving.

Back next week!