If recipes could be a ball game, these are a home run. I hadn’t made them in years when I decided to make them for a brunch class I was teaching for high schoolers in LA.
When they came out of the oven and my assistant, Kelly, and I tasted them warm, we looked at each other, rolled our eyes and quickly grabbed another one. They are moist and buttery with a crunchy cinnamon sugar glaze. They beat any donut we’d ever tasted anywhere, including Krispy Kreme.
They were good the next day, too, and even the day after that, but cold I’d rate them as a triple. I liked them warmed up a little in my toaster oven better than cold or room temperature, but nothing beats fresh out of the oven. I realize I’m nit picking here, and for someone who likes to make everything ahead, this is unusual for me. But nothing beats a home run.
So here’s what I think. Before you make them, gather all your dry ingredients into a plastic bag or bowl. Before you serve them, put your wet ingredients into a food processor or mixing bowl and mix. Add your dry ingredients and mix together. Then put them into your greased mini muffin tins and bake for 15 minutes and wait for the applause. You won’t have to wait long.
I haven’t tried them with gluten-free flour, but I think they would work fine. If you do try them, please leave a comment so everyone gluten-free would know.
DONUT-HOLE MUFFINS
1 large egg
1/2 cup whole or low fat milk
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, melted
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Coating
1/4 lb. (1 stick) butter
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 cup sugar
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a food processor or mixing bowl, mix egg, milk, and butter until blended. Add flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Pulse or mix until incorporated.
3. Spray 36 miniature (1 1/2-inch) muffin tins with nonstick vegetable cooking spray. Spoon about 1/2 tablespoon batter into each cup. (I use a meatball size ice cream scoop.) Bake in center of oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
4. Meanwhile, make the coating by melting butter with vanilla in a small skillet. In a small bowl, stir together cinnamon and sugar. When muffins come out of the oven, immediately remove from the tins by inserting the tip of a sharp knife along one edge. Roll muffins in butter and then in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place on cooling racks until set.
Makes 36 miniature muffins.
