Day 185: Puffins

This morning I decided, since we had enough time before church, to make cinnamon puffs.  Mom used to make these, and every once in awhile I make a batch.  "The bishopric could use a pick up after morning meetings," I said to myself.  And proceeded to double the batch.  "Cream shortening and sugar."  Shortening?  In.  2 cups sugar?  Check.  Turn on kitchenaid.

Crud.  2 cups sugar DIVIDED.  OK.  How to fix this?  The recipe was already doubled.  Now it had to be doubled AGAIN.  I had bowls and muffin tins all over the place, mixing here, taking from there, adding here--it was a frenzy of bakey craziness.  I should have taken a picture of my kitchen, every counter with a bowl or pan full of muffin batter.  Enough batter to make 4 dozen muffins, only two pans, and 30 minutes before we have to leave for church.

Crumbs.

Fill muffin tins a bit more than normal.  Put the rest of the batter in a loaf pan.  Close the oven door.  Set the timer, and hope for the best.

Here's what we got:

And finally:

The loaf also worked, but it is wrapped now and ready for delivery.  Frankly, we're puffined out!

Here the recipe (not doubled!)

1-1/2  cups flour

1-1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground nutmeg, divided (Hmn.  Reading this now, I realize I didn't divide the nutmeg either.  Just threw in the whole kaboodle.  Sheesh)

1/3 cup shortening

1 cup sugar, divided

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup butter or margarine.

1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat over to 350 degrees. In a medium mixign bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and 1/2 tsp nutmeg (in retrospect, I like them so much with the full dose of nutmeg, I might just keep it full strength, and then add extra when needed at the end.  But I digress).    In another bowl, beat shortening, 1/2 cup sugar, egg, and vanilla until well blended.  Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and beat in the milk until smooth.  Fill each cup of a lightly greased 12-up muffin tin two-thirds full with batter.  Bake 20 minutes, or until light golden brown.  Melt butter using your preferred method of meltage.  Personally, I use the microwave.  If a  blow torch works for you, go crazy.  In a small bowl, combing 1/2 cups sugar, cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp nutmeg (which, since I had put the whole shabang in with the batter, and since I was in such a flurry at this point, I didn't include here today).  While the puffs are warm, dip each one in butter, then in sugar mixture, coating thoroughly.  Store in an airtight container.

The Bish, being from the south, looked at them and said, "I'll bet these would be great with butter."  Ah yes--puffins made with shortening, dipped in butter, and then slathered in more butter!  Paula Dean would be so pleased...