A warmly spiced twist on our apple cider donut muffins! We've added Oaktown Spice Shop's Golden Milk to the batter, bringing layers of ginger, cinnamon, and cardamom that go beautifully with the apple cider's natural sweetness.
We've been fans of Oaktown Spice Shop forever (we even make a Golden Milk Caramel for them!), and their golden milk powder is perfectly balanced here with the double dose of apple—it adds depth and warmth while letting the fruit shine.
Muffin Batter:
- 1 quart (4 cups) apple cider
- 3 cups (400g) flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 Tablespoon Oaktown Spice Shop's Golden Milk powder
- 1 cube (113g) butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup (100g) white sugar
- ¼ cup (50g) brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Cinnamon Sugar Coating:
- 1 cube (113g) butter, melted
- 1½ cups (300g) sugar (or maple sugar is also delicious)
- 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
- A big pinch of salt
Instructions:
Measure ½ cup of fresh apple cider and set aside. Boil the remaining 3½ cups cider until it is reduced to ½ cup of apple syrup.
Mix together the fresh cider, reduced cider syrup, buttermilk, and vanilla; set aside.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and golden milk powder.
Cream the butter and both sugars together until fluffy. Add the eggs and beat well.
Alternately add the flour mixture and cider mixture to the butter mixture.
Grease or spray a 12-cup muffin pan, do not use papers.
Scoop batter into muffin pan using a scoop or ¼ cup measure.
Set the batter aside in the refrigerator for 30 minutes—your muffins will be lighter and fluffier with this rest and chill. At this point, you can cover the pan and leave in the fridge overnight.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake muffins for 20-22 minutes or until cooked. Cool for 5 minutes.
Pro tip: To ensure perfect doneness, insert a candy or meat thermometer into the center of a muffin. They're ready when the internal temperature reaches 205-212°F.
For the coating:
While muffins are baking, mix together the sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
Melt the butter.
Brush the warm muffins all over with melted butter and roll in the cinnamon sugar.
Set aside until cool, about 30 minutes and enjoy.
Note: Muffins keep for a day or two tightly wrapped.
