Dec 24

Dec 24 Eggnog Donut Muffins

Eggnog continues to be one of my favorite ingredients for baked goods. It provides so much flavor from the vanilla & nutmeg and is incredibly rich so it keeps muffins and breads from drying out. I love that I can find small containers of this liquid gold on grocery store shelves for months after Christmas has ended, keeping me in my baking happy place. These Eggnog Donut Muffins have a generous amount of butter brushed onto the warm tops before dusting with sugar, so it really resembles a powdered fry cake! It’s become a Christmas brunch tradition for me to bring a dozen of these heavily scented confections to my sister-in-law’s house, and there’s not a single one left by the time the presents have been opened!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup eggnog

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a muffin pan with papers and set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, oil, and sugars until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, until combined.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla.

4. Add the dry ingredients into the butter mixture alternately with the eggnog, beginning and ending with the flour and making sure everything is JUST incorporated, but do not over mix.

5. Scoop the batter evenly into the prepared pans, filling the cups nearly full. Bake the muffins for 15 to 17 minutes, or until they're lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the middle of one of the center muffins comes out clean. Remove muffins from the oven, and let them cool for a couple of minutes. Meanwhile, prepare topping.

Topping Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Working quickly, either brush (with a pastry brush) or dip the tops of each muffin into the melted butter and return to the wire cooling rack. Sift a generous amount of confectioner's sugar over the donut tops before the butter dries/soaks in. Enjoy!