Salacious Cinnamon Mini-Muffins: a holiday tradition

by guest contributor Victoria Klein

As long as I can remember, my grandmother baked these cinnamon mini-muffins around the holidays. They quickly became my favorite treat as a child & always symbolized happy times with my family. Originally based on a recipe for “French Breakfast Puffs” from Betty Crocker, I’ve updated the recipe with more nutmeg & cinnamon, making them taste even more luxurious and … salacious (hence my new name for them).

These are a wonderful treat to serve for holiday get togethers or to gift in place of cookies and other sweets.

Salacious Cinnamon Mini-Muffins

Muffins Ingredients:

1/3 cup butter or butter-flavored Crisco
½ cup sugar
1 egg
1 ½ cups flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 tsp nutmeg
½ cup milk

Coating Ingredients:

1 stick of butter
1 cup sugar
1 ½ tsp cinnamon

Other supplies

Electric mixer (tough to do by-hand)
2-3 mini-muffin tins
non-stick cooking spray

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Thoroughly mix together 1/3 cup of butter or butter-flavored Crisco, ½ cup sugar, & 1 egg
3. Combine 1 ½ cups flour, 1 ½ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp salt, & 2 tsp nutmeg in a separate bowl
4. Mix together dry ingredients from step 2, wet ingredients from step 1, & ½ cup milk. The final dough will be dense & sticky, like bread dough.
5. Spray mini-muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray. Fill tins almost full.
6. Bake for 13-15 minutes, producing 24-36 mini-muffins.

7. While muffins are baking, cut up the full stick of butter into 4-6 pieces, place it in a bowl, and microwave until fully melted. In another bowl, combine 1 cup sugar & 1 ½ tsp cinnamon, mix well & set aside.
8. After the muffins have cooled for 3-5 minutes in the baking tins, remove them.
9. One at a time, roll the muffin in the bowl of butter, ensuring it is completely covered.
10. Then, roll the muffin in the cinnamon & sugar mixture, ensuring it is completely covered.
11. Repeat steps 9 & 10 until all muffins have been covered. Enjoy!

Stored in an airtight container or plastic bag, the muffins can stay fresh for over a week. For fresh-baked taste days later, microwave muffins for 15 seconds before eating.

About the contributor: Victoria Klein is a freelance writer, photographer, and creative dabbler. Along with a regular yoga practice and running regimen, you’ll find her reading, cooking, baking, bicycling, contemplating new tattoos, learning how to be a military wife, and looking for more ways to live sustainably. Victoria’s second book, 48 Things to Know About Sustainable Living, was released in October 2010; her first book is 27 Things to Know About Yoga.