Glazed Buttermilk Doughnut Muffins

It was bound to get here sooner or later.  It was inevitable, like the sunrise and the transcontinental railroad.  Dunkin' Donuts has finally announced plans to expand into Southern California.  What's the big deal about little rings of fried dough, you say?  Hah!  You clearly haven't lived east of The Big Muddy. The East Coast has run on Dunkin' Donuts for decades, and it's been cranking out fresh doughnuts and hot coffee long before Starbucks was a twinkle in anybody's eye.

While we're waiting for the doors to open, here's a really sweet Glazed Doughnut Muffin to tide you over.   It has the texture of the perfect cakey doughnut, and the flavor as well, thanks to the fresh nutmeg.

They rise beautifully with perfect domed tops that practically beg to be drenched in glaze. 

Dip them twice to insure you get a nice thick layer of the stuff.

Glazed Buttermilk Doughnut Muffins      ~~~adapted from King Arthur Flour
oven to 425
makes 12 muffins
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

• Cream the butter, oil and sugars together.  Add in the eggs, one at a time.  Then add the vanilla.  Beat well.

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 to 1 1/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg, to taste (I used freshly grated)
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup buttermilk (you can use regular milk)

• Whisk the dry ingredients together, and add them, alternately with the buttermilk, to the butter and eggs.  Begin and end with the dry ingredients.   
• Grease your muffin tin and fill the cups.  They will be full.
• Bake for 15-17 minutes, just until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Don't overbake.
• Remove the muffins from the pan and cool on a rack.  
• Dip the cooled muffins, top down, into the glaze, swirling it around a bit to insure you get a good coating.  Set them back on the rack.  After you've dipped all the muffins, go around and dip them a second time.  

Glaze    
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar

• Heat the milk in a small saucepan and then, off the heat, add the extract and sugar, whisking into a smooth glaze.