yes, please.

French Breakfast Puffs from Pioneer Woman (my most loved and most hated food blogger/cookbook of all time…only bc I am certain it is her goal in life to make us all fat. Fat but happier than you have ever been in your whole life).

I’m not sure what it is exactly that makes these little guys “French” other than the fact that they are a bread product I suppose. Isn’t that what people do in France? Drink wine and eat bread? Brilliant. I live in the wrong country.

Anyway I was up at 7 am on one of my days off last week (by 7 I mean 9:30) and our guests were still soundly in sleepy sleepy land, and I wanted to do something. What do I do when I want to do something? I bake these. They taste like a softer, fluffier yummier version of a sugar coated donut. It was my first time using shortening and I am convinced that is what made them so light, fluffy and moist. Once they are baked you coat them in melted butter goodness and smother them with sugar and cinnamon. And I am telling you. It is worth the 300 g of fat per muffin. These would be the best Christmas morning treat. I think I’ll make it my new tradition. Nobody is counting calories at Christmas, right?

If you are feeling sinful just reading this, I would encourage you to scroll down and spend a little quality time with the spinach salad post. Healthy! And then come back and make these.

Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cook Time: 25 Minutes Difficulty: Easy Servings: 12

Ingredients
3 cups Flour
3 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoons Ground Nutmeg
1 cup Sugar
⅔ cups Shortening (Crisco)
2 whole Eggs
1 cup Milk
1-½ cup Sugar
3 teaspoons Cinnamon
2 sticks Butter

Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 12 muffin cups.
In a large bowl stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside.
In a different bowl, cream together 1 cup sugar and shortening. Then add eggs and mix again. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beating well after each addition.
Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden.
In a bowl, melt 2 sticks butter. In a separate bowl combine remaining sugar and cinnamon. Dip baked muffins in butter, coating thoroughly, then coat with cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Serve them warm, every time. SERVE THEM WARM PEOPLE.

Here’s an added suggestion I just discovered:
“I make these, but, hold on (it might make your hiney tingle!), I fill the muffin cup 1/2 full then add a small piece of CREAM CHEESE, then finish filling the cup. Incredible!! Just take a 3-oz. block of cream cheese and cut it into 12 small pieces–one piece per muffin, please. Proceed with baking, rolling and smothering. Bon appetit!”

My mouth is watering.

Oh, and apparently they freeze well.

You’re welcome.