by fiveandspice
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Photo by Nicole Franzen
A&M's Testing Notes:
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1/3 cup
unsalted butter
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1/2 cup
sugar
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1
large egg, at room temperature
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1 1/2 cup
all purpose flour
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1 1/2 teaspoon
baking powder
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1/2 teaspoon
salt
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1/4 teaspoon
nutmeg
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1/4 teaspoon
allspice
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1 pinch
ground cloves
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1 pinch
ground ginger
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1 teaspoon
orange zest
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1/2 cup
whole milk, at room temperature
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6 tablespoons
butter, melted
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1/2 cup
granulated sugar
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1 teaspoon
ground cinnamon
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In a heavy bottomed pan, heat the 1/3 cup butter, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until browned and nutty smelling. Pour into a mixing bowl and allow to cool completely to room temperature.
Ask the hotline about this step!Preheat your oven to 350F. Grease and lightly flour a 12 cup muffin tin.
Ask the hotline about this step!Add the sugar and egg to the cooled butter. Beat with an electric mixer until all creamed together.
Ask the hotline about this step!In a separate little bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, spices, and zest. Add the dry ingredients in increments to the butter-sugar mixture, alternating with the milk and beating well after each addition.
Ask the hotline about this step!Divide the batter evenly into the cups of the muffin tin. Pop into the oven and bake until golden brown and fragrant, about 20-25 minutes.
Ask the hotline about this step!While the puffs are puffing, put the melted butter in one shallow bowl and combine the sugar and cinnamon in another one. When the puffs come out of the oven, use a knife to gently pop them all out of the muffin tin.
Ask the hotline about this step!One by one, dip each puff in the melted butter - get it all over it - then roll it in the cinnamon sugar. Transfer it to some lovely, festive serving platter, and continue until you have rolled all of the puffs. Serve warm - they are by faaaaar the best when they are still warm - with coffee, and mimosas, and other goodies.
Ask the hotline about this step!Cool. I've never heard of that book, but I love the title! I think a bunch of different variations on this idea are floating around out there. If you ever give this version a try, do let me know what you think and how they compare!
I just stumbled across Food52 this week and am in seventh heaven and the first recipe I tried was the Cinnamon Sugar Breakfast Puffs. Oh my! They are even better than the picture looks and the picture is divine. I thought it might be a challenge to handle the hot puff when it came out of the oven, but it was no problem at all. Thank you so much fiveandspice!!
That is wonderful! I'm so happy to hear that! And, welcome to food52, you are going to LOVE it as you explore more!
Why was I worried about NOT finishing these? I've got a family of four and, in my New Year's resolution mode, I only ate HALF of one (yes, stopping at half WAS an Herculean effort) and we STILL finished off the batch. The only thing I did was omitted the zest (daughters don't like "misplaced citrus." Don't ask...) and added some vanilla. I was worried about them crumbling out of the pan but they came out beautifully. Mine weren't particularly brownish or dark golden but, at 24 minutes, were done and ready for their butter bath and sugar roll. SO delicious and SO easily put together in a hot second when ingredients are pre-measured the night before. Yum -- and THANKS!
That is great! Thanks for sharing. Also - though I disagree with them! - I love your daughters' expression "misplaced citrus." Too funny!
Let's just say, hypothetically, we're unable to polish all of these babies off...how would I go about defrosting and reheating? Leave frozen and re-bake in muffin tin or defrost overnight or ? Thanks! Can't wait to make these!
Defrost them overnight, and then gently reheat them in the oven or toaster oven. Enjoy! :)
I made these Christmas morning and my husband said they were the best thing i had ever made --ever!
Wow! What a compliment. That's so great!
I made these and they were AMAZING! the only thing I would do differently would be to make them in a mini cupcake pan instead of the normal size. This way they are easier to just pop in :)
Yay! Glad you liked them. I've heard from others who have tried it that the mini muffin pans work well.
I made these over the weekend for guests who were in for New Year's Eve. Four of us polished off 12 of them. It was before we started our resolutions. ;)
Hahaha. Good timing then! I'm so happy to hear you and your guests all enjoyed them!
Made New Year's morning! Fantastic. These will definitely become a staple in our home.
Thank you! I'm so glad. And Happy New Year!
Almost identical to Marion Cunningham's recipe.... from The Breakfast Book. I also like her ginger muffins.
How interesting! I've heard of The Breakfast book but I've never seen it. I love the sound of ginger muffins, and actually I just made these again for a breakfast and I added some chopped crystallized ginger, which was delicious!
this is the first recipe i tried off of food52. i made these for my son im not a big cinnamon fan. so i started off totally messing it up buy putting all the dry stuff in the mixer but they still turned out awesome :) thanks
That's fabulous! Thanks for letting me know!
I have to say thank you so much for this recipe. We are on Winter Break (obviously :) ) and my daughter who is 10 and I made these not once but we are on our thrid batch in two weeks. They are insane. I do them in the mini muffin tins and we eat one dozen and freeze the other unsugared (if that is really a word) Thanks again !
Oh, that is just so great to hear! I am so happy to hear that you guys enjoyed them and have been getting to cook together so much. How fun!
I don't know if you saw this:
http://smittenkitchen.com/2011/12/cinnamon-brown-butter-breakfast-puffs/#more-8059
but I am curious about the "And others" credited by Deb...
Ha! That's so funny! Must be something in the air - I like to think we all inspire each other, anyway! :)
Hi! Sorry I missed your comment! I've been traveling, and I somehow missed the notification. Anyhow, if you try them, I really hope you enjoy them, and please do let me know what you think!
Made these Sunday morning and they were absolutly delish. easy yet comforting
So glad you enjoyed them!
I made mini ones for a client's brunch party. They were a HUGE hit. Everybody loved them! I'm considering making meyer lemon ones next week, rolled in vanilla sugar.
Awesome! Love the meyer lemon and vanilla sugar idea. That sounds wonderful!
Holy crap these look good! They remind me (visually) of these amazing pumpkin fritters I had in Cambridge recently. I just might have to make these beauties ! Thank you :)
Haha, thanks! Hmmm, and it would be interesting to try out a pumpkin version. I'm going to think about that a bit.
These were AMAZING... Had them for a movie night snack. Definitely making these again for an upcoming brunch. Im going to try to make them in a mini muffin pan next time.
I love the idea of mini versions! Yum! And thanks, I'm glad you liked them!!
Could not wait till Christmas! Bought muffin pan just for these. They are GREAT!! I'm not a great baker,but these were so easy. I will be making these again for my special guest and family. Merry Christmas.
Oh good! I'm so happy you liked them! Have fun with your special guest and family, and the Happiest of Holidays to you!
Yay!!! I'm so happy! This is a really wonderful recipe! Happy Holidays!! I really hope to make these over Christmas.
Thank you so much ChezSuzanne! You're so sweet! And, if you make them, do let me know what I think! Your fab squash rings are going to be on our menu, yum.
I made these yesterday morning with L & C and, as expected, they were amazing! Wonderfully cakey and fragrant, and then so good dipped in melted butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar. We were so happy to be on the mend after four days of being home sick we didn't really think about how we'd eat all twelve of these...we did our best with four and a half and popped the rest of the un-buttered/sugared ones into the freezer.
Just polished off the last of our batch with a much needed second cup of coffee...they freeze and rewarm remarkably well. The one I just ate was not buttered and sugared - it was a perfect mid-day treat!
Oh, I'm so glad you're all on the mend! Being home sick is so un-fun! I hope you also had lots of tea and honey, and I'm so flattered you chose these to celebrate! 4 1/2 is pretty darn good, and they do freeze and rewarm well. All the best, and continued improved health to your little ones!
Thank you so much Ms. T!
Thanks Steve!
Congratulations, fiveandspice! I will definitely be trying these out for my cinnamon and doughnut-loving sister.
Thank you so much cristinasciarra! And congratulations to you again on being a finalist with your lovely breakfast sandwich.
Congrats!
Thank you!
Thank you creamtea! I hope you enjoy them!
Congratulations! Such a sweet story for a lovely recipe. I look forward to making these puffs.
Thanks BKR! And, truly, I should be thanking my friend and her godmother for the inspiration.
Congratulations on your win with these little lovelies!
Thank you b!
Wow! Thanks Mrslarkin! I'm absolutely flattered.
So happy for your win, fiveandspice!! Congratulations!
Thanks gingerroot!
Thanks Midge! :)
Thanks Panfusine!
Thanks Kate!!!
Congrats to you I think this is a fabulous recipe and a well deserved win!
Thank you so much sdebrango. That's so sweet of you to say!
Thank you Bevi! And, I'm so glad you like my blog too! That's so great to hear.
I made these yesterday and they turned out great!!!! Will definitely make them again:) thanks!!
So happy you liked them!
My family has been making something similar for years, maybe since the 1950's- we call them French breakfast puffs, and Elena is right, they have magical powers. No holiday breakfast would be complete without them!
That's so cool! I hope my version has similarly magical powers! :)
This is a great recipe that I could WOW my high schoo students with!
Oh yes! I could totally see HS students loving these. And, they'd probably enjoy making them themselves, too.
Oh yummy! I want these for breakfast, for dessert, for RIGHT NOW!
Hehe! Thanks lori! I think you definitely have permission to eat them for both!
These things are great! They are in my mother's home ec textbook from the 1950's, an old Betty Crocker. Be careful how you wield the power of the puff, though. One of my beaux proposed after I made these! I let him down easy. . .
Wow! That is a powerful puff! I wouldn't be surprised at all if the original recipe from my friend's godmother was from an old Betty Crocker - she's that generation. And the original puffs I first tried are good, but I have to admit, I like them better with all my changes (obviously not an impartial judgement! :) ).
If I give you my address, will you please FedEx some puffs right away? Congrats on being a finalist. I love your notes--what a great tribute to your friend.
Hahaha! Thanks Ms. T. If you can think of a way to keep them fresh and warm in a box, I would so ship some to you!
Wow, these look delightful. I'm a fellow Minnesotan and so anxious to try these. I have been looking for a spice cake donut recipe since sampling some this fall at a Northfield Apple Orchard. They were unforgetable and these look like they'll satisfy the craving.
Oh I hope you enjoy them! I went to college in Northfield (Carleton) and used to *love* the apple picking. Of course, it's not bad out here in New England either, but I have to say (hope I don't offend anyone here!) I like Minnesota apples and donuts better!
Oh yum! These sound delicious. I'll definitely be making at least a batch or two around Christmas! Congrats on the finalist nod!
Thanks Kate! And congrats again on your punch. Obviously we need to have another Boston area party!
Butter!!! Yes. :) Thank you creamtea.
Hurray fiveandspice! These look so delicious. I'm afraid I'd be parked right in front of that festive serving platter.
Thank you so much Midge! Wish you were here! I'd rush a batch over to you!
YUM! Those look and sound AMAZING. I would suggest pairing with a Mocha Crème Anglaise - get your coffee and doughnuts in one swoop! We've got a tried and true recipe here: http://bit.ly/vLMJEH
Wow, a mocha creme anglaise. Now that would be some serious decadence.
Thank you Bevi.
Thank you kindly mrsl!
Congrats! They look delicious and no deep frying! I will definitely try these out!
Thanks! I'm actually kind of scared of deep frying, so I definitely find the no deep frying a plus with these. (Though, the butter dip keeps them from being anywhere near healthy, I'm afraid.)
They look stunning fivenspice - hearty congratulations!
Thanks KB. All of your breakfast creations are simply stunning as well!
Congrats fiveandspice! Looks like a great treat.
Thanks emily!
Thank you so much aargersi!!! Although, I still think your hold the nothing breakfast strata looks kind of like the ultimate in breakfast experiences.
Congratulations - these look divine! I'm with you on the browned butter. Love your recipes!
Thank you BKR! Always brown that butter, right?! :)
Haha! They were more a dish from my college days, before I knew you!
These are so wonderful, congrats on being a finalist. So happy for you!!!
Thank you sdebrango! Very kind of you!
Thank you Panfusine!
These look perfectly delicious, and a must-try!! Congrats! ;o)
Thank you so much AJ!
Thank you EmilyC. I must say, I get addicted to them whenever they're around.
Hooray!! Congrats, fiveandspice! I was almost certain your sticky buns would be a finalist, but these are equally amazing. I'm thrilled for you!
Thank you gingerroot!!! I'm so psyched. I think the sticky buns are also delicious, but I must say, these puffs do give you more payoff for the time and work! :)
Congrats! These sound truly delicious.
Thanks so much!
Five and Spice, my father makes these for breakfast, and I've never had them anywhere but at his breakfast table. Thank you so much for putting up this recipe, it makes me think of him. He made breakfast for us every single day-- my mom, not a morning person, got coffee in bed while he got us up and off to school...
That is so cool luvcookbooks! Thank you for sharing that story - your dad sounds wonderful. If you make these I hope they meet your expectations!
This reminds me of doughnut muffins, but even better! Love the spices - YUM!
Thanks HLA! I must admit, I've never actually had a donut muffin(!), but I'd imagine these are pretty similar - similar premise. But, it's so much more fun to call something a puff!
Love the headnote, and the recipe sounds great! Especially dipping in butter and sugar and eating while warm. Can almost taste them,
Yeah, the butter dipping and sugar rolling is definitely the kicker here!
YUM! I am making your gingerbread with burned caramel right now (caramel is doing it's thing) and now I want these too - I have never met a FiveNSpice recipe that I didn't love!!!
Awwwwww! That's so nice of you to say! Thanks A. I could say the exact same about your recipes.
I have a question about the recipe "Cinnamon Sugar Breakfast Puffs" from fiveandspice.
Michael is a food critic and established cookbook author -- Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking is the most recent addition to his vast body of work.
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The ingredients: flour, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, orange zest, sugar, baking powder, butter, milk and egg.
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Baking powder makes the puffs "puff."
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The puffs themselves have four different spices, but not too much of any of them.
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Zesting an orange for the batter.
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Amanda, deep in concentration, butters the muffin tin.
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The batter starts with brown butter, which you should cool a little before adding the other ingredients.
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Creaming the melted butter with sugar and eggs.
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Why so cheerful? We rarely get to use the hand blender (it often gets overlooked, tucked into a low cupboard).
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Adding the dry ingredients, in stages.
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And alternating with splashes of milk.
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You don't want too much batter in each muffin cup -- a few tablespoons at most.
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Golden and pillowy, the puffs emerge from the oven, and we flip them out while they're still warm using a sharp knife.
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We found that piercing the bottoms with a sharp fork worked well for dipping the hot puffs in the melted butter.
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Teamwork.
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Breakfast is served!
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I just made these two days ago for my daughter's teacher's birthday. They are super yum, BUT I got the recipe from a book called, "Gifts of Good Taste," published in 1989. The recipe was much simpler though. This recipe sounds more gourmet, but they look exactly the same.