Cinnamon and Spice Muffins by Christine Restivo Mulvania

Breakfast time!  For the weekend!  I love to make breakfast on the weekends because Saturday and Sunday are the only days Ryan and I can sit down and eat breakfast like civilized people.  We can sit, and eat, and chill, nowhere to rush off too (usually) and we can watch all the pretty little birds in our pretty backyard.  Good times.

I have been experimenting with this recipe for the past couple weeks.  I love cinnamon and sugar and I love enjoying it during the winter so I was really looking for a nice muffin recipe for the mornings.

Need: 1/2 cup of unsalted butter (1 stick) softened, 1 cup and 1 tbsp. of sugar ( keep 1 tbsp. separate for the topping), 2 large eggs, 1 tsp. of vanilla, 2 tsp. of baking powder, 1/4 tsp. of salt, 2 cups of flour, 1/2 cup of milk, 1/4 tsp. of ground cloves, 2 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon (keep 1 tsp. separate for the topping), 1/2 tsp. of nutmeg, small amount of orange zest (about 1/4 tsp.).

Directions:  With some butter, grease a muffin pan and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  In a small bowl mix 1 tbsp. of sugar and 1 tsp. of cinnamon and set aside.  In a large bowl with a mixer cream the butter, then add the sugar and combine until it is light and fluffy.  Add the eggs (one at a time mixing after each one), vanilla, baking powder, salt, cloves, nutmeg, orange zest, 1 and 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon.  Combine.  Add the flour and milk, alternating as you combine into the mixture.  Spoon into the muffin pan.  Top each muffin with cinnamon and sugar from the bowl you set aside earlier.  Bake for about 15-20 minutes.  Recipes makes about 8-10 muffins.