because this is our first day back to school…

I am sharing this with you. A muffin recipe. This is a wonderful pumpkin cake donut that happens to be in the shape of a muffin. and they are DIVINE. They are helping us start the week out right. I knew I couldn’t make it thru this blogging week honestly without sharing them with you, my friends.

Now, you need to know: They are NOT, I repeat NOT, weight watchers friendly. But with that said, in spite of all those New Year’s Resolutions you made last week, you still need to eat one of these beauties. My mom always told me, don’t waste your calories; well, I promise you – not one calorie is wasted here. It is worth every tiny crumb. And I know it is the truth because my husband couldn’t stop smiling while taste-testing the first one of the batch.

I apologize if it messes up all of your diet plans. Its okay. You can get on the treadmill twice tomorrow. Here it is:

Pumpkin Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Muffins.

Ingredients

For The Batter
- 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 1 1/4 cups pure pumpkin puree (from a 15-ounce can)
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
For The Sugar Coating
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 12 standard muffin cups. Make batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and allspice. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and pumpkin puree. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down bowl as needed. With mixer on low, add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions pumpkin mixture, and beat to combine.
Spoon 1/3 cup batter into each muffin cup and bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean, 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine granulated sugar and cinnamon. Let muffins cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Working with one at a time, remove muffins from pan, brush all over with butter, then toss to coat in sugar mixture. Let muffins cool completely on a wire rack.

(this recipe was taken from the Martha Stewart website.)