I had some leftover buttermilk on hand and wanted to try something new other than buttermilk pancakes or buttermilk biscuits. I’ve had this beautiful Muffins cookbook by the Williams-Sonoma Collection for a couple of years and other than admiring the food photography throughout the whole book, I hadn’t tried one of the recipes until now!
The book contains 40 recipes – 8 being coffee cakes, another 7 on quick loaf breads and the rest on muffins. The recipes are broken down in these categories:
- The Classics
- Fruit Muffins
- Vegetable Muffins
- Savory Muffins
- Coffee Cakes
- Quick Loaf Breads
Plus a section on Muffin Basics.
The first recipe I tried from this book was the Cinnamon-Buttermilk Muffins. The directions were straight-forward and it turned out delicious! I used half the amount required for the sugary-cinnamon topping and it was perfect. As the description says in the book, the muffins are reminiscent of cinnamon-sugar donuts. My husband says they remind him of Snickerdoodles.
Since making these muffins, I’ve tried a couple more recipes – and the verdict? This book is not only a keeper, it’s a gem!
Muffins – The Williams Sonoma Collection
Makes 9 Muffins
7 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temp
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Topping:
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
6 tabelspoons unsalted, melted butter
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 9 standard muffin cups with butter or butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray; fill unused cups one-third full with water to prevent warping.
Using electric mixer on medium speed, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, beating well until pale and smooth.
In another bowl, stir together the flour; baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Add to the butter mixture in 2 increments, alternating with the buttermilk and vanilla. Stir just until evenly moistened. Batter will be slightly lumpy.
Spoon batter into each muffin cup, filling three-fourths full. Bake until golden, dry, and springy to the touch, 20-25 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Unmold muffins and let stand until cool enough to handle.
Make the topping by stirring together the sugar and cinnamon in a small, shallow bowl. Melt the butter in another bowl. Holding the bottom of a muffin, dip the top into the melted butter, turning to coat evenly. Immediately dip the top in the cinnamon-sugar mixture, coating evenly. Lightly tap to remove excess sugar. Transer to rack, right-side up. Repeat with remaining muffins. Cool completely before serving.
These muffins are lovely with coffee or tea. They aren’t too sweet and the flavor of the muffin itself is delicate and light.
