Sugar Muffins

One of the most profound scent memories from my childhood is that of waking up to Sugar Muffins (accompanied by a rasher of bacon...of course), fresh out of the oven and lovingly baked by my mother.  Part of the magic was her use of a decorative vintage French mold pan which transformed modest muffins into a wonderful variation known as "French Puffs" from a page of her 1980's Betty Crocker's Cook Book (you can find a similar recipe here).  Baked until golden brown and then removed immediately from the inverted pan, revealing the pretty scalloped tops, the entire muffins are then carefully and quickly dipped in melted butter and then rolled in a cinnamon sugar mixture.  It is this sugary topping that led to our naming them simply, "Sugar Muffins."  Much like the cronut, these "Sugar Muffins" have become popular and have been spotted these last several years in bakeries from Napa to Sherman Oaks, but they are easy to make and delicious fresh and warm in the comfort of your own kitchen.  Its hard to limit yourself to only one, but I typically justify any additional muffin consumption with the knowledge that this sugar-dusted delicacy is at its freshest and best enjoyed the day-of baking -- so why let them go to waste!