Eggnog Doughnut Muffins

These muffins taste like a powdered cake doughnut, with eggnog in the batter and a buttery sugar coating on top. They make an easy holiday breakfast and are best the day you bake them.

Makes 12 large muffins

Ingredients

For the muffins

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup full-fat eggnog

For the topping

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Set a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg together in a bowl.
3. Using a stand mixer with the paddle or a hand mixer, beat the butter on medium-high until creamy. Add the sugar and beat until pale and fluffy, scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the eggs one at a time until smooth.
4. Finish the batter by hand with a sturdy spatula. Stir in about a quarter of the flour mixture until barely mixed, then a third of the eggnog. Keep alternating, ending with the last of the flour. The batter will be thick, somewhere between cake batter and bread dough. Mix only until everything is combined.
5. Fill the muffin cups almost to the top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until puffed, lightly browned at the edges and a tester comes out clean. Move the muffins to a rack.
6. While they're still warm, melt the 4 tablespoons butter. Brush it over the muffin tops, then dip each top into a bowl of the powdered sugar. Dip each one a second time for a thicker coat.
7. For the full doughnut effect, peel off the liners and brush the sides and bottoms with butter, then roll them in sugar too.

Tips

• No pastry brush? Dip the muffin tops straight into the melted butter instead.
• They keep for a day or two, though they're at their best fresh from the oven.

Adapted from a recipe in the Milk Lady Markets recipe collection.