Cinnamon Muffins

Here's a simple, quick muffin when you want a treat for breakfast or tea.  Mixes up quickly and bakes in only about twenty minutes.  Now this is certainly not health food, but maybe a bit better for you than a doughnut or store-bought muffin.  You can use skim milk and can even replace 1/2 cup of the flour with whole wheat flour.

These muffins are best hot from the oven, especially split open and spread with a little extra butter (mmmm), but they are also good after they cool.

Cinnamon Muffins

Slightly adapted from A Taste of the Treasure Coast by The Yacht and Country Club of Stuart, Florida

Muffins:

1/3 cup solid vegetable shortening (like Crisco)

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup milk

Topping:

3 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In large bowl, beat together shortening, sugar and egg.  Sift dry ingredients together and add to egg/sugar mixture in three parts, alternating with milk.  Mix well after each addition.

Line muffin cups with cupcake liners.  Fill muffin cups 2/3-3/4 full.  Bake at 350 F. for 20-25 minutes until lightly golden brown.   

While muffins are baking, melt butter.  In small bowl, mix together sugar and cinnamon.  When muffins are done, immediately dip tops in melted butter and then in cinnamon/sugar.

Printable recipe