Monday Munchies: The Search for a Replacement Muffin

For the last few months I've been looking for a replacement for Cinnamon Muffin Melts.  When I decided to give up my business there were two things I knew I'd miss; the discount on food we'd grown to love and the other consultants I'd come to know.  I am hoping that the relationships that count will remain.  When I found a recipe for beer bread that was just as good as the one I'd been making I knew there was hope.  The other baked good staple around our house is the Cinnamon Muffin Melt. I'll be referring to them as CMM. 

Thanks to Pinterest and Google I've found a large selection of recipes that may or may not be like our beloved CMM.  An acceptable replacement needed to be light and airy, cinnamon sugar delicious with a hint of nutmeg or something to add just the right flavor.

I've tried several recipes.  Some have been total misses.  I won't share those with you.  Some, like this one, are tasty but not exactly what I was trying to find.  Finally, a friend posted French Breakfast Muffins on Pinterest.  I made them this morning and they totally fit the bill.  I made a few changes because I am unable to follow a recipe so here is my new recipe for Better than Cinnamon Muffin Melts.


Muffin:
1 c. sugar
3 c. all purpose flour
1 T. baking powder
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
2/3 c. butter, melted

2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. milk

Topping:
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

/1/2 c. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large bowl, stir together all dry ingredients.

In a small bowl whisk together wet ingredients.
Tip: If your butter is warm and your milk is refrigerator cold put the milk in the microwave and heat it for a few second to bring it to room temperature before adding.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir gently just until combined, but still a bit lumpy.
REALLY IMPORTANT TIP: DO NOT OVERMIX!!!!

Scoop batter into mini muffin tins that have sprayed with cooking spray.  You should get about 48 mini-muffins.  Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until they just start to turn a bit golden at the edges.
Another tip:  You can also make regular size muffins.  Just increase your baking time to 20-25 minutes.

For the topping, mix sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Place melted butter in another small bowl. Dip the warm muffins in melted butter then dip the muffin in cinnamon sugar. You'll find a lovely, warm, anticipatory rhythm to this process.  Dip, dip, plate.  Dip, dip, plate.  Until all 48 are setting in a lovely arrangement ready to be savored.   This morning I had a beautiful plateful of muffins ready for breakfast.  Since the recipe from the link above was smaller it made just one pan of mini-muffins.  This was perfect for us today because it was a weekday and only four of us were home.  I knew that if this were the CMM replacement we'd clean the plate.  It's good to think ahead sometimes.    It was especially good to think ahead this time because by the time I grabbed my camera, this was what was left of our Better than CMM.