Snickerdoodle Muffins

Weekday mornings, when my alarm goes off at 6 am, I fantasize about sleeping until 9.  My bed never feels so comfortable as it does early in the morning.  Why is it, then, on weekends I'm out of bed by 7 because I just can't sleep any more?  I think it's because I don't want to waste a minute of free time.  I also think it's because I've got a good case of guilty mom syndrome.  Each weekday morning when our children sit bleary-eyed at the bar in the kitchen, Eli asks me for eggs.  And I look at him in exasperation because...for real?  I have no time to make him eggs, which is what I tell him every weekday morning.  So on the weekend, I feel like I need to make up those mornings of cold cereal or peanut butter toast with something a little more special.

This morning, that was snickerdoodle muffins.  Cinnamon and sugar and melted butter....the kitchen smells amazing when these are baking, and I don't have to call anyone twice to eat them.  And while they can't be called health food, they contain healthy ingredients like yogurt (dairy) and eggs (protein), and cinnamon, which I've read has major health benefits.  I'm justifying a little here, but whatever.

If you're strategic you can mix this up in one dish, which is always a plus.  I have a large glass measuring 'cup' that can be put in the microwave to soften the butter, and then everything else can go in it.  I love one-dish dishes.

I also love Reynolds jumbo baking cups.  They rock.  They're sturdier than paper liners, and they peel off without taking half the muffin.  (I did not receive an endorsement from Reynolds to say that, but they could offer me one.  I'm their biggest fan.)  Tip: ensure your liner doesn't peel off half your muffin by spraying the liners.  Don't skip that step.

These bake up fast, in about 18 minutes.  When they're still piping hot, the tops get slathered (or brushed, or however you roll) with butter, then liberally sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.  To make them cool a little faster so your family can actually hold them without burning themselves, take them out of the muffin tin and sit them on a cooking rack for a few minutes.

    

  
Our Izaak, who usually asks me to butter or peanut butter his toast on weekday mornings, sweetly asks me if I'll butter up his muffins so he can dash out to a 4-H meeting.  I can't resist his brown eyes, though I know his future wife is going to hate me for babying him like that.  I mean, really, the kid is 13 and can butter his own muffin.

Our Eli?  He devours his muffin, and then asked me for some eggs.  I guess I know what we're doing for lunch. 

 

Snickerdoodle Muffins
Adapted from the Pillsbury Complete Book of Baking, 1993

Muffins:
1/3 c butter
3/4 c sugar
3/4 c nonfat plain yogurt
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
2 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/4 t nutmeg
1/2 T cinnamon
1 3/4 c bread flour

Topping:
2-3 T butter
3 T sugar
1 t cinnamon  

Heat oven to 350.  In a glass bowl, soften the butter in the microwave.  Whisk in the sugar until the butter and sugar are well combined.  Mix in the yogurt, eggs and vanilla, stirring vigorously between each addition.  Whisk in the baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon.  Then add the flour and combine with a spatula just until the flour is incorporated with the rest of the batter.  Don't overmix.  

Place liners in muffin tins, and spray the liners with nonstick cooking spray.  Fill each muffin liner about 1/2 full with batter.  Place in the oven and bake for about 18 minutes, or until muffin tops are golden and look done.  Remove from oven.  While muffins are still very hot, brush the tops with butter, then sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.  Remove the muffins from the tin and allow to cool a bit on cooling racks.  Enjoy!