Things have changed so much since I was a young adult. For one, there were much stricter rules back then– or at least, that’s how it was for me.  I was never allowed to grow my hair long, because my mother believed that only “hippies” had long hair. So, for much of my childhood and teenage years, I had a short, curly haircut that I absolutely hated. When I got to high school, she relaxed a bit, so of course I spent an exorbitant amount of time straightening my hair and blowing it out, as per the style of the day.

I had chores on the weekend (and most weekdays), and was not allowed to go out to football games with my friends until they were all done. There was an upside to this; I got very good at cleaning my room very quickly. Oh, there were times my mom made me re-clean to her satisfaction, but more often than not, I got away with just a cursory clean. 

Strange though it may sound, everyone dressed up to go out. If we went out to dinner, we would all wear our best clothes, especially my mom and dad. We wore formal attire for parties and holidays. People got all decked out to see a show or movie too.  I got new clothes for every holiday, cherishing the day I would finally get to wear them. Thank goodness that life has become more relaxed and informal these days.

As strict as my mom was, she also had a rebellious streak. For example, when I attended elementary school, girls were not allowed to wear pants (am I dating myself here or what?). In defiance, my mom bought me a tweed pair of pants, which I could not wait to wear. I wore them proudly. Once I got to school, they called my mother and told her to take me home to change, or I would not be allowed back. My mom did come to the school to argue, but in the end, the school won out, and I returned to school wearing the proper clothes. Imagine all that over a pair of pants!

Now, fashion is very relaxed and people dress as they please. I don’t mind wearing nice clothing, since it’s fun to dress up once in a while, but I really did hate having to do it so often. Now that we are staying home much more, leggings, t shirts, and comfortable sweatshirts are becoming the norm.

Change is good, and we are seeing it in all things, not only our wardrobe attire. If you are looking for a change in cooking, how about these doughnut-muffins that are not fried, but baked in the oven and served as a muffin?

These Muffin Tin Doughnuts are amazing! As the author stated, “they set out to create a muffin that tasted like a doughnut in disguise with a tender crumb, a crisp exterior, and a buttery spiced coating.” And they did it! The buttermilk, butter and egg ensures a rich, yet delicate, cake-like doughnut. The nutmeg adds just the right amount of savory, giving it a little extra delicious flavor. The muffin is then baked at a high temperature to crisp it up and give the exterior a fried flavor. Each muffin is then brushed with butter and coated with a cinnamon sugar. How amazing does that sound? These are the perfect comfort food for breakfast, a snack, or dessert. Make these now: they are a “must try.”

This recipe is courtesy of Cook’s Country Kitchen and will make 12 doughnut muffins for people who will love this innovative twist on your classic muffin.

Ingredients for Muffin Tin Doughnuts:

2 3/4 cups (13 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup buttermilk
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs plus 1 large yolk

For the Coating:

1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees.

Spray 12-cup muffin tin with vegetable oil spray.

Whisk flour, sugar, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg together in bowl.

Whisk buttermilk, melted butter, and eggs and yolk together in separate bowl.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir with rubber spatula until just combined.

Scoop batter into prepared tin.

Bake until doughnuts are lightly browned and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 19 to 22 minutes.

Let doughnuts cool in tin for 5 minutes.

Whisk sugar and cinnamon together in bowl.

Remove doughnuts from tin.

Working with 1 doughnut at a time, brush all over with melted butter, then roll in cinnamon sugar, pressing lightly to adhere.

Transfer to wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes.

Serve.

It’s that simple!