Buttermilk Muffins

Bakingblonde has a recipe that peeked my interest. Cinnamon Crumb Muffins, well as I read I found that it looked like the same exact muffin recipe my brother lost when we were kids. Bakingblonde however put a strudel topping on the muffins instead of the original cinnamon/sugar topping. The strudel looked yummy but I am going to have to go with the original. A DE-licious muffin recipe with a cinnamon/sugar topping! Yay! The link to the William Sonoma recipe made me even more happy and excited. Perhaps I finally found that wonderful recipe!

Well I think this recipe is close, but maybe my family substituted a few things out. The nutmeg is a little strong for me. My husband says that they weren’t as moist as other muffins and didn’t have the yummy muffin-top that he really likes. I do think that because I cooked these in a dark muffin pan that I should have decreased the temperature more. I baked them for 20 minutes at 325 degrees, however I think I should have decreased the temperature even more, to 300 or 310 degrees. Overall they were very yummy and I will make them again, most likely with a smidgen less nutmeg and at a lower temperature to help them retain moisture.

Ingredients:
For the 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
* 1⁄2 cup buttermilk
* 1 1⁄2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the topping:

* 2⁄3 cup sugar
* 1 Tbs. ground cinnamon
* 6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Grease 9 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. Makes 9 muffins.

Note: These cake-like muffins are made from a batter similar to that used for preparing doughnuts, but they are baked instead of fried.