A Lazy Saturday Morning

One of our favorite things is lazy Saturday mornings. With Sarah no longer here and no jobs to make Saturday a strictly "chore" day, we can "laze" about on Saturdays. With the paper and cups and cups of coffee.

Our laze location of choice is the breakfast room -- and for Saturday morning it's quite casual -- mugs of coffee, an easy treat (sometimes homemade -- sometimes boughten pastries) and some great music on the stereo.

This Saturday morning, while we contemplated garden chores that we need to be doing -- after breakfast and after the paper, we munched on some freshly baked muffins -- muffins often being the breakfast treat of choice for Saturdays -- while we worked the crossword -- a daily ritual whether it's a lazy Saturday or a busy Tuesday!

The muffins -- "Doughnut Muffins" -- a simple muffin baked with a hint of nutmeg and then rolled in butter and a mixture of sugar and cinnamon. Served still warm, they were a delight -- we each had two!!!! (and the rest were delivered by Husband Jim to some friends who were not feeling well -- I'm sure the muffins brightened their spirit!!!)

They're easy and delicious and it's hard not to have just one (or two!!!) -- they're that good!

Lazy Saturday mornings and muffins for breakfast are two of my favorite things and so I'm joining Laurie at Bargain Hunting with Laurie for Saturday faves! See what other favorites there are by visiting Laurie.

DOUGHNUT MUFFINS

12 T. butter at room temperature

1 c. sugar

2 large eggs

3 c. flour

1/2 T. plus 1 t. baking powder

1/4 t. baking soda

3/4 t. salt

1/2 t. ground nutmeg

1/2 cup plus 1/3 c. milk

1/8 c. buttermilk

For dipping:

8 T. unsalted butter, melted (use more if needed)

1 c. sugar

1 T. ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350. Cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until just mixed in. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Combine the milk and buttermilk. Mix a quarter of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Then mix in a third of the milk mixture. Continue mixing in the remaining dry and wet ingredients alternately, ending with the dry. Mix until well combined and smooth, but don't overmix. Grease and flour a standard-size muffin tin (or use paper liners -- but you have to take them off before you dip them). Scoop enough batter into each tin so that the top of the batter is even with the rim of the cup. Bake the muffins until firm to the touch, 30 to 35 minutes.

To finish:

Melt the butter for the dipping mixture. Combine he sugar and cinnamon. When the muffins are just cool enough to handle, remove them from the tin, dip them all over with the melted butter, and then roll them in the cinnamon sugar.