Two Great Treats In One

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We're talking about donuts and apple cider combined into a muffin!  And what better time than the fall to enjoy this amazingly sweet treat!  Amy Traverso, who's the Senior Food Editor at Yankee Magazine, as well as the author behind The Apple Lover's Cookbook, came by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about her recipe for Apple Cider Donut Muffins.  Amy told Tonia the key to making these muffins really special, is to brush them with butter and roll them in cinnamon.  That way, you get the doughnut-like crust but without the frying.  Amy says they're always a hit with people who try them. It's not hard to figure out why!

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• 2 cups sweet apple cider
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon table salt

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375° and set a rack to the middle position. Lightly grease a standard 12-cup muffin pan and set aside.

Put the apple cider in a large saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly and simmer until the liquid is reduced to 1 cup. Set aside to cool.

Using a standing or handheld mixer, cream the butter with the sugar in a large bowl at medium speed until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, blending well after each. Add the vanilla extract and blend.

In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add a third of this mixture to the butter mixture and beat just to combine. Add half the reduced cider and beat to combine. Repeat with another third of the flour mixture, then the rest of the cider, then the remaining flour mixture. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups and transfer to the oven. Bake until tops are firm and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 15 to 17 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool 10 minutes. 

For the topping:

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons salted butter, melted

Instructions

Now, prepare the topping: In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the sugar and cinnamon. As soon as the muffins are cool enough to handle, brush their tops and sides with butter, then roll in the cinnamon sugar to coat. Serve warm or at room temperature.