Doughnut Muffins Dex+

Breakfast food can be delicious, especially something sweet. I thought I'd give muffins a try, and I've made the regular version of these before. They're called doughnut muffins because the nutmeg and cinnamon make them taste a bit like doughnuts. I love doughnuts, but I don't love the hassle of frying them. Muffins are a lot easier.

A dozen warm Doughnut Muffins Dex+

Here is my Dex+ version of King Arthur Flour’s doughnut muffin recipe. My family all liked them a lot.
I recommend eating them slowly, and having plenty to drink with them. I think of Dex+ as "food with consequences". Eat too many too fast, and my stomach will surely let me know that I did! But really, that's how food is supposed to be, right? Tastes great, and yet is satisfying. Two muffins with coffee, and later a large glass of water, and I was content until lunch.

Chia seeds are my preferred fiber, because they are packed with other potentially healthful nutrients. They are a good match for this recipe, which can easily handle the added color, texture, and thickening that they provide.

 

Chia seeds (left) puff up when wet. A quick spin in a spice grinder (right) keeps them from sticking between teeth. 

Freshly shaved nutmeg (right) gives an especially nice strong flavor, although pre-ground works too.

 

Cream together butter, oil, molasses, syrup and dextrose (left), and then add eggs (right).

 

Mix in the eggs (left), then the baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, vanilla, and ground chia (right). 

 

Mix in the flour and milk, and the batter is ready! 

Fill the muffin cups. I used a silicon muffin pan with cooking spray. This tends to make the muffins jump straight up and not have the "mushroom" top, so I wiped the spray off the top of the pan, and made sure the batter contacted the edges and top all around.

 

Some of the baked muffins (left) still tended to jump straight up, but most have the "muffin top". After brushing on all of the butter (right), they are ready for the sugar to stick on top.

First sprinkle on the large crystals of Turbinado Sugar; the "high sweet" and crunch are especially enjoyable on the muffin tops.  Last, add all of the cinnamon sugar. 

Doughnut Muffins Dex+

With its basic sugar-cinnamon-nutmeg flavor, it's reminiscent of a plain doughnut.

Yield: 12 muffins.

Batter

2 ounces (¼ c) butter

1 3/4 ounces (¼ c) vegetable oil

13 g molasses

145 g simple syrup dex+

96 g dextrose

2 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 to 1 1/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg, to taste

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 ¾ tsp chia seed, ground in spice grinder

11 1/4 ounces King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

8 ounces milk

Topping

1 1/2 ounces melted butter

3 Tbsp Dex+ cinnamon sugar

4 tsp turbinado sugar

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a standard muffin tin. Or line with 12 paper or silicone muffin cups, and grease the cups with non-stick vegetable oil spray; this will ensure that they peel off the muffins nicely.

2) Cream together the butter, vegetable oil, molasses, syrup and dextrose till smooth.

3) Add the eggs, beating to combine.

4) Stir in the baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, vanilla, and ground chia.

5) Stir the flour into the butter mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour and making sure everything is thoroughly combined.

6) Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared pan. The cups will be pretty full.

7) Bake the muffins for 15 to 17 minutes, or until they're a pale golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the middle of one of the center muffins comes out clean.

8) Remove them from the oven, and let them cool for a couple of minutes, or until you can handle them. While they're cooling, melt the butter for the topping.

9) Use a pastry brush to paint the top of each muffin with all of the butter, then sprinkle with the turbinado sugar, followed by all of the cinnamon-sugar.

10) Serve warm, or cool on a rack and wrap airtight. Store for a day or so at room temperature.