French breakfast muffins

It's been approximately three months since my last post.  Life has just gotten in the way as it has a tendency of doing.  Change can be very hard to adapt to but it is worth it.  I am currently going through a divorce, and my life has changed significantly.  One thing I found is that divorce causes huge amounts of stress!  My appetite was gone and I was just floating through every day just trying to keep it all together.  I have always lived well within my means and money problems has never been a big issue in my life, suddenly it's all I think about.  I struggle every month to make the full mortgage payment and keep food in the house.  Of course I'm not completely alone.  My sister moved in which has been a big help, maybe not on the financial level too much (although she helps were she can) but on the emotional level.  If she were not in my house with me I would be left staring at a wall with no one to talk to.  Another big help has been my pups who give loads of unconditional love on a daily basis.  My huge bed is not so empty with one 90 lb dog and one 30 lb dog sleeping next to me every night.


Since the new year began, I have heard many people state that they are glad this last year is over and they have nothing good to say about it.  Looking back on my last year I see how I could easily keep with that atitude but I would not benefit from it, and I would be lying.  Even though I feel I've lost a family whom I adore and ended a relationship of almost five years I can still find many awesome things that happened to me this past year.
-I met Leo my little red heeler whose face could melt your heart
-I made the SWAT team...an acheivement I've been working on since I became a cop over three years ago
-I made many mistakes in the kitchen and learned from them haha
-I gave my kitchen a make-over with the help of my dad and got my dream stove!

I've also met many awesome people and developed a lot of freindships.  I look forward to this year and am curious how it will all turn out.  Here is to new beginings!  And without further ado....onto the food!

This recipe is brought to you by Betty Crocker who featured Merry Graham as the creator of this awesome recipe!

 French Breakfast Muffins

muffins:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
2 cups unbleached flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
topping:
3/4 cup butter melted
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon


First pre heat your oven to 375 degrees F, if you have a convection oven.....which I do yay!!....pre heat to 350.

In a large bowl, beat 1.2 cup butter, 1./2 cup sugar,  the eggs and milk with an electric mixer on low speed.  I took this picture cause it looks like a face haha!

Your mixture will appear curdled..nasty!  This means you did it right don't worry about making a nice beautiful smooth mixture because that would be wrong.  I know it's hard to have a chunky mixture I had to use all my will power to not smash up all the butter and create a smooth mix.  Refrain my friends for the chemistry that makes up this yummy muffin requires the chunkiness!

Next throw in the rest of the ingredients...remember if you are in Utah or any other high altitude cut out a bit of your baking powder.  I put in about 1 1/4 tsp.  When mixing this don't use an electric mixture, use a spatula.  Mix until everything is moistened...don't over mix!

fill your muffin cups about 2/3 of the wall full.  The recipe calls for 18 but I was only able to make 15.  It is important to put a bit of water into each muffin cup that you do not fill.  This helps protect your muffin tin from getting damaged from the heat.
Cook for about 20-25 minutes.

After the muffins have cooled for about 5 minutes, carefully remove the paper muffin cup.  Set up your coating station.  Make the cinnamon sugar mixture and get a spoon to help with the coating.  Melt your butter and get a pastry brush...if you do not have a brush get a spoon to help cover the muffins with butter.

Coat each muffin with butter...do not soak just enough to allow the cinnamon sugar to stick to the muffin.

Shower the butter coated muffin with cinnamon sugar....make sure the whole muffin is completely coated to ensure cinnamon tastiness.

Serve warm.......but they are still super tasty cold :) LOVE!!!!