(Buttermilk and brown sugar form the basis for these muffins. They get a burst of flavor from butterscotch chips. Also good for mini-muffins.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (packed) light brown sugar
- 2/3 cup solid vegetable shortening (such as Crisco), cold and cut into 4 lumps
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs, well beaten
- 1 cup butterscotch baking chips
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and position oven rack in center of the oven. Line muffin tins with papers or grease and flour muffin tins.
In a large bowl, combine flour and brown sugar until no lumps remain. Add shortening and cover with the flour/sugar mixture. Use a pastry blender or your fingertips to gently combine until the mix resembles coarse bread crumbs. (This may also be done in the food processor using a few short pulses of power. Do not let it run or the shortening will melt.)
Reserve 1/2 cup of the flour/sugar mixture and set aside to use as the crumb topping.
To the remaining flour/sugar mixture, add baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Using a fork, combine well. Add buttermilk and beaten eggs. Using a large spoon, mix briskly until thick and batter takes on a sheen. Fold in butterscotch chips.
Fill muffin tins 2/3 full. Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of reserved crumb topping mixture over the top of each muffin. Gently tamp down topping into batter.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until tests done with a toothpick. Serve warm or at room temperature.
For mini-muffins: Do not add butterscotch chips to batter before filling mini-muffin cups. Instead, fill cups 2/3 full, then gently press 3 butterscotch chips into each mini-muffin before adding crumb topping. Bake for about 14 minutes until edges are lightly browned.
Yield: about 16 large muffins or 60 mini-muffins
In a large bowl, combine flour and brown sugar until no lumps remain. Add shortening and cover with the flour/sugar mixture. Use a pastry blender or your fingertips to gently combine until the mix resembles coarse bread crumbs. (This may also be done in the food processor using a few short pulses of power. Do not let it run or the shortening will melt.)
Reserve 1/2 cup of the flour/sugar mixture and set aside to use as the crumb topping.
To the remaining flour/sugar mixture, add baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Using a fork, combine well. Add buttermilk and beaten eggs. Using a large spoon, mix briskly until thick and batter takes on a sheen. Fold in butterscotch chips.
Fill muffin tins 2/3 full. Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of reserved crumb topping mixture over the top of each muffin. Gently tamp down topping into batter.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until tests done with a toothpick. Serve warm or at room temperature.
For mini-muffins: Do not add butterscotch chips to batter before filling mini-muffin cups. Instead, fill cups 2/3 full, then gently press 3 butterscotch chips into each mini-muffin before adding crumb topping. Bake for about 14 minutes until edges are lightly browned.
Yield: about 16 large muffins or 60 mini-muffins
