Doughnut muffins are small, round cakes made with doughnut batter instead of muffin batter. Instead of being fried like the typical doughnut is, the muffins are baked inside of greased muffin tins. The muffins are typically coated with cinnamon, sugar, and butter, but may also be eaten with honey or jam, if preferred. It is common to eat doughnut muffins as a breakfast food but many choose to eat them as a dessert or snack food, as well.
The batter used for doughnut muffins usually consists of flour, sugar, baking powder, eggs, oil, salt, and milk. Shortening can be used instead of oil, and often, nutmeg and cinnamon are also added to the batter. The ingredients are mixed together until smooth in consistency and then the batter is poured into oiled muffin tins. The muffins are typically baked for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown in color. After the cakes have cooled, they are usually dipped into melted butter and sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon.
The muffins can also be eaten plain or with jam, jelly, or honey, if preferred. The small cakes can also be filled with jam or fruit preserves, making them similar in taste to jelly-filled doughnuts. To do this, the baker normally injects the cooled muffins with the filling using a pastry bag. Jelly doughnut muffins can be coated with powdered sugar or eaten plain. Some prefer to dip the muffin into jelly rather than fill it, as it is usually easier.
When coating the muffins, the baker can dip the small cake into melted butter or margarine and sprinkle the sugar, cinnamon, or powdered sugar on top of the muffin. The muffins can also be dipped into a bowl of mixed cinnamon and sugar, and this will normally provide a heavier coating to the muffin. Butter or margarine is normally needed for the coating as it provides a surface for the coating to stick to and adds a buttery taste that complements the flavor of the muffin.
This type of muffin is ideal for those who enjoy the taste of doughnuts, but only have a limited amount of time to make them. Under most circumstances, doughnut muffins can be made in less than an hour. In addition, the muffins use common ingredients that most would already have available in the home. On top of that, they are normally lower in fat than typical doughnuts because they are baked instead of fried in fat and oil.
