Cookbook of the Month Recipe – Orange-Honey Sticky Bun Muffins

I am all about smells. There is something about the sense of smell that evokes feelings or memories. I went out to my car last night, and for the first time, it actually really felt like fall – all because of the smells. I could smell the leaves, and there was something burning in the air that smelled like the candles inside of a jack-o-lantern. Ahh, how I love the emotions that brought on!

These muffins brought along a lot of feeling as well – all because of the smell they filled the house with as they were baking. The melting sugar, the orange, the cinnamon – it felt like the holidays in my house!! These probably could have tasted horrible, and I would have still wanted to make them, just to fill my house with that scent!

Recipe notes:

• I would probably double the amount of the “sticky” mixture next time – there just wasn’t enough!
• As I was typing out the recipe, I realized that I put the cinnamon sugar mixture on the tops of the muffin pan, not in between two layers of the batter. Ooops! It still worked out!
• My biggest complaint with these is that I didn’t know how to serve them. The sticky side up? That was kind of difficult because the other end was rounded. But I wouldn’t want to leave the sticky side on the bottom….
• This is a perfect, quick alternative to sticky buns. You get kind of that same feeling, but much easier and quicker than having to wait for the dough to rise!

Recipe rating: 4 out of 5

Orange-Honey Sticky Bun Muffins
from Family Circle All-Time Favorite Recipes

makes 12 muffins

1/2 cup walnuts
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Batter
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup honey
2 teaspoons grated orange rind
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped raisins, optional

Heat oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Coat a standard 12-muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. Divide walnuts evenly among cups of muffin pan. Combine brown sugar, butter, honey and cinnamon in a small bowl. Spoon 1 rounded teaspoonful into each muffin cup.

Prepare batter: Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a medium-size bowl. Blend butter, honey, orange rind and egg in another medium-size bowl. Beat in milk. Stir flour mixture into milk mixture just until combined. Spoon half of batter into muffin cups.

Combine sugar, cinnamon and raisins (if using) in a small bowl. Sprinkle over muffins. Top with remaining batter. Place pan on foil-lined baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven for 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean. Cook pan on rack for 5 minutes. Invert muffins onto waxed-paper lined tray. Spoon any sticky mixture left in pan over muffins.