Donut Puffs

     Years ago, when Barry had just started teaching art at Chapman High School, we were invited to a post football party at a fellow teacher’s apartment. She served these muffins, warm from the oven, and they were delicious. I’ve been making them ever since.

     She called them Donut Puffs but I’ve also found similar recipes that were titled Cinnamon Puffs or French Puffs – any or all of those names could be used for these easy-to-make treats that taste kind of like a donut. After the nutmeg-infused muffins come out of the oven, they are dipped in melted butter and then rolled in  a cinnamon-sugar mixture.

      Serve them warm (they can be reheated in the microwave) or at room temperature.

Donut Puffs  Yield:  about 1 dozen or 2 dozen mini muffins

¼ cup shortening

½ cup granulated sugar

1 egg, beaten

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon nutmeg

½ cup milk

½ cup chopped nuts-,optional

Topping

¼  cup butter, melted


½ cup granulated sugar


1 teaspoon cinnamon  

1.     Preheat oven to 375°. Grease or spray muffin tins.

2.     Cream shortening and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add egg to creamed mixture.

3.     In another bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder and nutmeg.

4.     Add flour mixture and milk alternately to the creamed mixture (start and end with the flour – see note below). Fold in nuts if desired.

5.     Fill greased muffin tins 1/2 full. (You should end up with exactly 1 dozen regular muffins or 2 dozen mini but sometimes muffin tin sizes vary and you might end up with less or more. If you happen to end up with less or more and have some unused muffin tins, click on Unused Muffin Tips for a remedy.

6.     Bake for 15 to 20 minutes for regular size muffins; about 10 to 12 for mini muffins.

7.     When cool, dip cakes in melted butter and roll in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar.

Alternating Wet & Dry Ingredients —When you add the dry first, the fat in the creamed mixture will start to coat the flour particles and you will avoid the development of gluten (which if overworked will make quick breads, pie crusts, etc. tough). You end with dry to take up any available moisture in the batter.