French Morning Muffins

Despite the title, these muffins are great any time of the day! They are sweet with a hint of spice and go perfect with a cup of coffee. There is a rustic quality to these muffins. I tried many recipes before I created this one, and I worked to incorporate the best of each recipe. My family helped with the development of my own 'French Morning Muffins' and commented on each recipe I tried. I have worked to combine all the feedback I got into this recipe, and they turned out amazing! For an extra indulgence, split the muffin in half and spread some butter on it. Try out these wonderful French morning muffins and let me know what you think!

Bon Appetit!

Total time (from start to finish) is 40 minutes.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
1/2 teaspoon Allspice
1 large egg, room temperature
3/4 cup milk, room temperature
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooked
1 teaspoon vanilla

For Topping:

1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, melted (I used salted butter, but unsalted works)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 12 muffin cups or line with paper liners. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and Allspice in a large bowl; whisk to mix and then make a well in the center of your bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the egg, milk, butter, and vanilla; whisk to blend. Pour the wet ingredients into the well and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until evenly blended. Do not over mix! The lumps in the batter are fine.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cups. Bake for 17-20 minutes, turning muffin pan halfway through baking time. Transfer to a rack and remove muffins after about 4 minutes of cooling time. Remove paper liners (if using), and prepare topping.

For the topping, combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Brush the top of each muffin with melted butter and dip it into the cinnamon sugar. Serve warm. Makes 12 muffins.