Baked Goods: Delicious Donut-Inspired Muffins
These Easy-to-Make Mini Muffins Aim to Satisfy Your Donut Cravings
Craving for donuts but don't want the mess and hassle of deep-frying? W worry not! These scrumptious, cinnamon-sugar-coated mini muffins, inspired by Bruce and Eric Bromberg's recipe, are your ticket to a donut experience without the fuss. Infused with nutmeg and buttermilk, these muffins slice feel like buttermilk old-fashioned donuts.
To get a peek into the Brombergs' culinary philosophy, give our Q&A with the chefs a read.
- What You'll Need: A pastry brush, a 24-well mini muffin pan, and a 1/2-ounce ice cream scoop or a spoon for portioning (if you don't have an ice cream scoop).
- Batch Size: Yielding 48 mini muffins
- Difficulty: Simple and straightforward
- Timeline: Prepare in about 1 hour, with 25 minutes of active work
For the Coating:
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Muffin Ingredients:
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted and divided
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for coating the pan
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 cup whole milk, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons buttermilk, at room temperature
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/4 sticks), at room temperature
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
Preparation:
- Heat your oven: Preheat oven to 375°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Lightly brush a 24-well mini muffin pan with some melted butter, coat it with flour, and remove any excess. Reserve the remaining melted butter for the cinnamon-sugar coating.
- Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together measured flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and baking soda. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk and buttermilk.
- Wet Ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, around 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time until fully combined.
- Mixing: With the mixer on low speed, beat in a quarter of the dry ingredients, followed by a third of the milk mixture. Alternate this process until all ingredients are incorporated, takes around 4–5 additions. Avoid overmixing.
- Baking: Fill the prepared muffin pan wells with batter, just to the rim. Bake until the muffins are golden and firm to the touch, approximately 15-20 minutes. Let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining batter and muffin pan preparation.
- Coating: Brush each muffin with the reserved melted butter, and generously sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Enjoy them warm or at room temperature.
Donut Muffin Variation:
If you prefer jelly donuts, let the muffins cool and make a small hole in the bottom of each. Fill a pastry bag with your favorite jam, jelly, or citrus curd and squeeze it into the muffins.
For a lighter muffin alternative, try our easy Popovers recipe. Check out all of Chowhound's donut recipes for more ideas to satisfy your sweet cravings. If you're interested in exploring Bruce and Eric Bromberg's unique take on donut muffins, make sure to check out their cookbooks or official websites for precise instructions.
- After melting the butter and preparing the muffin ingredients, the instructions provide a simple way to make mini muffins that resemble donuts, following the culinary philosophy of Bruce and Eric Bromberg as mentioned in the text.
- The nutritional value of these cinnamon-sugar-coated mini muffins is not explicitly stated in the recipe, but they contain ingredients such as flour, sugar, butter, and milk, making them a treat that should be enjoyed in moderation for balanced nutrition.
- To enhance the donut experience further, the recipe offers a variation for making jelly-filled donut muffins, similar to the traditional jelly-filled donuts, by piping in your favorite jam or jelly after the muffins have cooled.
