Family Fridays: Caramel-Spice French Breakfast Muffins

Ok, so I'm doing a new segment called Family Fridays, where I take a favorite family recipe and post it.  Fun, right?

The first recipe comes from my cousin Rachel.  

Isn't she cute?

Rachel is super awesome and fun and is in school to become an anesthesiologist (yes, I had to Google that spelling).

She is a year younger than me and we were close through our entire childhood years.

That's me on the right.

Every time she makes these muffins, they are a huge hit.  They are super dense and reminiscent of a cake doughnut.

Caramel-Spice French Breakfast Muffins

MUFFINS

·         ½ cup butter, softened

·         ½ cup sugar

·         ½ cup caramel topping

·         2 eggs

·         ¾ cup milk

·         2 cups unbleached flour

·         1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

·         ½ teaspoons salt

·         ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

·         ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

TOPPING

·         ¾ cup butter

·         ¾ cup sugar

·         1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

·         Caramel topping

1.       Heat oven to 375 F.  Spray muffin pan (recipe calls for 18 regular size muffins, however, I made about 36 mini muffins) with cooking spray.

2.       In large bowl, beat ½ cup butter, ½ cup sugar, ½ cup caramel topping, the eggs and milk with electric mixer on low speed (mixture will appear curdled).  Stir in remaining muffin ingredients just until moistened. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.

3.       Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, in medium microwavable bowl, microwave ¾ cup butter on High until melted.  In small bowl, mix ¾ cup sugar and the pumpkin pie spice.  Remove muffins from pan.  Roll in melted butter, then in sugar mixture.  Drizzle with caramel topping. Serve warm.

Yum!  Thanks Rach for the great recipe ;)

P.S. What do you think of the new blog header?  I made it using a pencil eraser stamp!