"Muffnuts" & Bacon Date Muffins..fine old recipes from America's Southern States

"MUFFNUTS"  aka French Breakfast Puffs makes 1 dozen cup cake sized muffins

these are a cross between a donut and a muffin


All ingredients at room temp please
Preheat oven 350f middle shelf
Batter:
1/3 cup butter or shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup milk

topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup melted butter

Method:
Cream the shortening with the sugar and add the egg, beat very well.
Sift flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg and set to one side.
Add the dry to the mix alternatively with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
Mix well and spoon the batter into well greased muffin/cupcake molds DO NOT USE PAPER LINERS.
FILL 2/3 FULL AND BAKE 25 MINS OR UNTIL GOLDEN BROWN.

Topping:
Combine the sugar with the cinnamon.

When muffins are ready, remove from oven and carefully un-mold while they are hot ..be careful as they are very tender.
Roll each into the melted butter and then the cinnamon sugar shaking off excess both times.
Plate and allow them to cool

Serve with fresh berries or OJ

BACON DATE MUFFINS
 This recipe makes 1 1/2 dozen using cupcake pans or small muffin molds

PREHEAT OVEN 400F MIDDLE SHELF

Batter:
1/4 cup butter
2tbsp sugar
1 large egg     

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 cup chopped dates* (or dried prunes, dried apricots, raisins, cranberries)
1 cup cooked and crumbled bacon (American bacon is streaky and smoked and is cooked crisp rendering all the fat out).

Method;
Cream the butter and sugar well and add the egg and continue to beat.
Combine the dry as in previous method and add alternatively with the milk beginning and ending with the dry.
Fold in the chopped fruit and bacon.
Spoon 2/3 full into well greased muffin pans
Bake for 20 mins and serve warm with maple syrup, honey or agave syrup.
Chop or slice the dried fruit fresh with scissors do not use pre- chopped fruit as it contains oat flour and will affect the recipe...make it heavier.