Pumpkin donut muffins

 

These were SO good and will be perfect for the fall season.  My kids devoured them.  One thing I found out, though is that if you put them in an air tight container the cinnamon sugar melts and they get sticky and not so pretty!  So my second batch I just put on a plate and loosely wrapped them and that worked out well.

Muffins:
10 tablespoons (5 ounces/1.25 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp, plus more for pan
3 cups unbleached all purpose flour, plus more for pan
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/3 cup buttermilk (low fat is okay)
1 1/4 cups pure pumpkin puree (which is not quite the whole 15-ounce can; be sure to use plain pumpkin NOT pumpkin pie mix)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs

Sugary coating:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup (4 tbsp / 2 ounces / 0.5 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour 12 (3.5- to 4- fl oz capacity) wells of a standard muffin tin.  I did mine in a mini muffin tin.  My kids like mini muffins better.

2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and allspice. Set aside dry ingredients.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, pumpkin puree and vanilla. Set aside.

4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down bowl as necessary.

5. On low speed, add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions of the pumpkin mixture. Mix until everything is just incorporated.

6. Spoon 1/3 cup batter into each muffin well and bake at 350F until a toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Let muffins cool 10 minutes in pan on cooling rack.

7. Meanwhile, make your sugary coating. In a medium bowl combine granulated sugar and cinnamon. Working with one at a time, remove muffins from pan; brush all over with melted butter, then coat in the sugar mixture. (I just dipped them in the butter and then dipped them in the sugar, it was quick and easy that way)

For the mini muffins bake at 350 for about 14 mins.  It makes quite a bit more than it says.  I probably got 36 or more mini muffins out of one batch.