Monday, March 14, 2011

Sugar Donut Muffins (aka Poofs) and CSN Winner


These little breakfast treats are usually found under a variety of names. Some call them Donut Muffins, others call them French Breakfast Puffs. But, I hereby rename mine as Breakfast Poofs due to their domed hi-hat shape.

I suppose you're wondering how they got that way. Well, I learned this trick from another blogger where you preheat your oven to 500F and then bake your muffins at that temperature for 5 minutes. After the 5 minutes are up, you immediately lower the temperature to 350F and continue baking until the muffins are done. Baking them at the higher temperature immediately causes the tops of the muffins to rise super high, leading to the little domed shape (or as my sister described them, "they look like little mushrooms").



Of course, I did notice that other bloggers' breakfast puffs did not look like this. Theirs were nice and even on the tops. I began to think that maybe theirs was the better and more correct way to go about this recipe, but well, my family likes them like this, so Poofs they will stay now and forever.

In the end, the way it looks doesn't really matter because they tasted awesome. Soft, cakey, moist and fluffy with just the right amount of sweetness. I took Reeni's advice and used a cinnamon-sugar mixture for some and a plain sugar mixture for the others. Both versions were equally delicious and have now become a family favorite of ours.

So, whether you call them donut muffins, puffs, or "poofs," I'm sure you'll enjoy them either way. After all, "what's in a name?"

CSN Giveaway Winner!!! Congratulations to Jenn of Eat Cake for Dinner who won my $45 CSN gift certificate giveaway.



Donut Muffins (adapted from Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice)

3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup milk (low fat is fine)
1 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/2 c. sugar, for rolling

Preheat oven to 500F. Lightly grease mini muffin tins with cooking spray, vegetable oil, or butter.

In a large bowl, beat together the sugar and egg until light in color. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg and add to the egg mixture. Stir to combine. Add the vegetable oil, milk, and vanilla.

Fill each mini muffin cup with a tablespoon of batter (about 3/4 full). Bake for 5 min. After the 5 min. are up, immediately lower the temperature to 350F and continue baking until the muffins test done, about 5-7 min. more.

While muffins are baking, melt the butter and pour the 1/2 cup sugar into a small bowl. When muffins are done, lightly brush the top of each with some melted butter (or you can lightly dip them into the butter) and roll in the sugar.

For the cinnamon-sugar version: Combine 1/2 cup sugar with 1 Tbsp. cinnamon.

Makes about 32 mini muffins

Note: If you'd rather not have the little "poof" at the top, simply bake the muffins at 350F until they test done. I will say that they would probably be easier to coat in the sugar mixture if they were flatter at the top.

This recipe is linked to:
Meatless Mondays
Midnight Maniac's Meatless Mondays
Just Another Meatless Monday
Made It On Monday
Dr. Laura's Tasty Tuesday
Tuesday Night Supper Club
Hearth and Soul Hop
Tasty Tuesdays
Rook 17

39 comments:

  1. I think "poofs" is the perfect name! They look like a wonderful treat.

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  2. donuts are a weakness of mine, therefore i shall stay far away from these poofs ;)

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  3. Congrats to Jen!!

    I'm wondering, can you do this with regular muffins...the 500 degrees at the beginning to make them rise super high?

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  4. Wow! these looks so delicious! Donuts that look like muffins...yummmy!

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  5. Bring on the poofs! These look like a wonderful breakfast.

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  6. Hi Lisa,

    Here is the link to my Peanut Butter cookies you asked for. I will post about your blog as well. I hope I did this link up ...correctly :) haha. Let me know if you need me to something differently.
    Ashley

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  7. I agree - poofs sound perfect for these!! They are adorable and sound perfect. Plus, they are just the right size for little kid's smaller hands!

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  8. Whatever you want to call them these look delicious! I love the idea of a donut muffin. Yummy!

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  9. Hi Lisa thanks for visiting my blog and inviting me to participate in the event, i think the contest is over, isn't it? i'll try to participate in the next one. donut muffin looks so cute

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  10. Lisa, those look so good. I have made a similar recipe before and they are always a hit.

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  11. They do look like little mushrooms. Sweet, delicious, puffy mushrooms.

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  12. I make these all the time and everyone goes crazy! I even had a friend who cannot tolerate gluten, "throw caution to the wind" and eat them! XOXO

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  13. Oh these look so yummy! We are having brunch later in the week and this will go perfectly with the menu :) Thanks!

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  14. They look so yummy. And, I like those hi hats :)

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  15. Doughnut Muffins are the best! They are in a favorite in our house! love the little tops on yours!

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  16. These muffins look really yummy!! gloria

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  17. Yes, Please! these look so good. would love one now with a cup of java !

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  18. Hi there! Thanks so much for your comment on my recipe for the Cookie Dough Cupcakes. I just now saw the comment, it had been marked as spam. I would have come over and linked up to your linky party if I had gotten the comment earlier : )
    Take care!

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  19. I like the look of your poofs! :)

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  20. Donut muffins looks fabulous. These would be great for an anytime snack!

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  21. AMAZING Lisa! Whatever you call them, Im sure there still DELISH!! : )

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  22. I think they're adorable! Thanks for the little trick :) I just made doughnuts... but now I want doughnut muffins!!

    Sues

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  23. I can't wait to give these a go this weekend. I think I may add a little chocolate to the mix though.

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  24. I love the poof! I always wondered how they get muffins to puff up like that. These look delicious:) Everything Reeni makes is good.

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  25. I would like to invite you to join in my Recipe
    Linky Party!
    Made it on Monday will be a weekly post on my blog. I would love to have you submit some of your recipes. :)

    http://larkscountryheart.blogspot.com/

    I am also one of your newest followers! :)

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  26. Thank you for joining in on "Made it on Monday"!
    It is a WEEKLY link party, I hope to see more of your recipes in the future. :)

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  27. These look so good and easy! I plan to make these with Adam soon.

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  28. Poofs are definitely what they are! They look delicious :)

    I'm also taking part in the Hearth & Soul hop and that's how I found your blog.

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  29. These look amazing. I will take one or a dozen right now. Yum.

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  30. Hi Lisa! You always make such sweet treats and these little donut poofs are so adorable! Thanks for sharing them on the hearth and soul hop! All the best! Alex

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  31. i'll take a baker's dozen please! these look so yummy. thank you for sharing with tuesday night supper club.

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  32. A donut poof by any name will taste as sweet! Thanks for the tip about the 500 degree oven to begin with - I will have to try these out on my kids! Thanks for sharing this with us at the Hearth and Soul Hop!

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  33. Lisa, I love the poofy tops, and they sound deliciously addictive! I'm definitely printing this recipe out and giving it a try!

    Thank you for linking up another sensational recipe to "A Little Birdie Told Me..." Tuesday at Rook No. 17

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  34. Thanks for linking this up to Dr. Laura's Tasty Tuesday! It looks fantastic and we love sugar, and muffins and donuts, so this is going on our menu soon!

    I'm featuring you on this week's Dr. Laura's Tasty Tuesday!

    Dr. Laura

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  35. Don't you just love these?! They always hit the spot and are fairly easy to make :-)

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  36. I made these and we loved them! I just posted them in my "Your Recipe My Kitchen" post today with a link back to you.
    danielle

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