Birthdays have always been a special affair in my family. It started when we were all young and continues today. Even when we were young however, one of the main ways we have always celebrated the day was in planning our birthday menu.
Can you imagine? Choosing WHATEVER you want for breakfast, lunch and dinner? Oh yeah, we love our birthday’s around here!
I guess one could say that as we have all gotten older, some things have changed. But what has really happened is that those changes have morphed into other ways of celebrating. For example: instead of the BLT sandwiches we chose for lunch as kids, you have peanut butter and jelly but then celebrate with a cupcake from Sprinkles. Do you see what I mean? The simple pleasures we enjoyed (such as BLT sandwiches) as kids have just been exchanged for more indulgent ones (like cupcakes).
While on vacation in 2012, we took my brother to our favorite the only place to get Lobster Rolls in Mystic Ct. for his birthday.
To get back to the subject of birthday menus, I can’t remember too many birthday’s that did not involve sugar muffins for breakfast. You know what I mean. The warm muffins drenched in melted butter and then coated in a mixture of sugar and cinnamon. While they may have some other names – such as doughnut muffins or french breakfast puffs – they always have been and always will be sugar muffins in this house. And you have to admit, it’s a far more appropriate name because that’s exactly what they are; SUGAR muffins.
A few years ago they only used to show up at birthday’s or other special occasions, but being now adults we can make them whenever, like um, last week… no special occasion, I just felt like making/eating sugar muffins for breakfast, so on an ordinary Thursday morning that’s exactly what I did. No regrets!
So really the only thing for me to say is that if you have NOT made or ever eaten sugar muffins,I pity you because you have been missing out! These are probably the best muffins you will ever put in your mouth. As I stated earlier, warm, drenched in butter and then coated in sugar, so, SO good! And look, I know they’re not healthy, like not at all, but one has to indulge and enjoy life (that’s what this blog is all about!), so put a little sunshine into your ordinary day, and make these – no regrets!
The lowdown:
Muffins with a hint of nutmeg, baked, dipped in butter, rolled into a sugar/cinnamon mixture and served warm. Be sure to have some other people present to help you eat them, not because one actually needs help eating them, but staying out of them!
Cottura felice!
French Breakfast Puffs (aka Sugar Muffins)
Warm, buttery, and coated in sugar/cinnamon, these muffins will melt in your mouth!
Ingredients
3 C. all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 C. granulated sugar
2/3 C. shortening
2 eggs
1 C. milk
For coating
3/4 C. (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 C. granulated sugar
Directions
Preheat oven to 350° f. and grease 15 (see note below) muffin cups.
In a medium sized bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg; set aside.
In a large bowl using an electric mixer, cream together 1 C. sugar, shortening, and eggs.
Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk, mixing well after each addition.
Fill greased muffin cups 2/3 full and bake bake for 20 – 25 minutes.
For the cinnamon/sugar coating:
In a bowl big enough for rolling the muffins in,combine sugar and cinnamon.
While muffins are still warm, dip in the melted butter then in the cinnamon/sugar mixture.
Serve warm.
* The original recipe says it makes 24 puffs, but the last time I made them I only got about 15.
Sempre Dolce 