Sugared Chocolate-Spiced Muffins & Sugar Donut Muffins

The kitchen is a mess right now and it’s driving me crazy. It’s a total If You Give a Mouse a Cookie situation. All that’s really being done is new paint, but new paint means drywall work – new drywall compound and sanding. Lots of it. So, my entire kitchen (which is also my sewing area) is all pushed the middle of the room. To get a new color thread out I have to wiggle chairs and move piles of cookbooks. I just keep telling myself it will look rather spiffy when it’s all said and done….

If it is ever all said and done.

Did I mention there was talk of a tile back splash? Wouldn’t that be awesome! Handsome does really nice tile work and I really think it would make the kitchen look great. Now, on to the food.

Sugared Chocolate-Spiced Muffins

from http://gracessweetlife.com

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon sugar cinnamon
3/4 cup sugar plus 2 tablespoons
1 large egg
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons 18% cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup caster (super fine) sugar, for rolling

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly grease standard muffin tin with cooking spray or using a pastry brush, coat muffin cups with vegetable oil; set aside. Using a fine-mesh sieve, sift the flour, unsweetened cocoa, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon into a medium bowl. Using a whisk, whisk to combine; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar and egg on medium-high speed until pale in colour.
Reduce the speed to stir. Add the flour mixture in three batches, stirring well after each addition. Add the vegetable oil, milk, cream and vanilla extract, stirring to combine.
Divide the batter evenly among the greased cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the butter in a small saucepan over low heat, stir until melted.
Place the extra sugar into a small bowl.
Transfer baking tin to wire rack to cool for 1 minute. Carefully remove muffins and return to wire rack.
Using a small pastry brush, lightly brush the top of the muffin with melted butter. Roll muffin in sugar to coat. Return to wire rack to cool completely. Repeat until all muffins are coated in sugar.

Sugar Donut Muffins

from http://gracessweetlife.com

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup milk (low fat is fine)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar, for rolling

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly grease a muffin tin with cooking spray or vegetable oil.
In a large bowl, beat together sugar and egg until light in colour.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Pour into egg mixture and stir to combine. Pour in vegetable oil, milk and vanilla extract.
Divide batter evenly into 10 muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full.
Bake for 15-18 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
While muffins are baking, melt butter and pour remaining sugar into a small bowl.
When muffins are done, lightly brush the top of each muffin with some melted butter, remove from the pan and roll in sugar. Cool on a wire rack.

I didn’t apply the butter and sugar at the end like the recipe called for, instead I dusted the tops with powdered sugar. In hindsight rolling them in sugar would have been good but I was on a sugar overload at the time and just really didn’t feel like it (not that powdered sugar is any less sugary).