Fat Friday: Snickerdoodle Muffins

And you thought the only recipe you were gonna get this week was for Mai Tai's. Where's your faith? Would I leave you with only adult beverages to work with?

Wait - don't answer that.

Let's just say that the nostalgia from yesterday - while not completely gone - has taken a back burner to these muffins. These glorious, beautiful, wonderful Snickerdoodle muffins! They're moist and full of cinnamon flavor. And when you bite into them, you get a little cheesecake surprise. They'll change your life, man. Forget that I say that about all food - these will REALLY change your life.

Let's get to bakin'.

You'll need:

2 c. flour

1 c. sugar

2 t. baking powder

1-1/2 t. cinnamon

1/4 heaping t. salt

1 egg

1 c. milk

4 T. butter, melted

1 t. vanilla

There are also ingredients for the cream cheese filling and cinnamon-sugar topping. I'll list those when we get to those parts.

Whisk the dry ingredients - flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt - together in a large bowl.

Whisk the wet ingredients - egg, milk, melted butter and vanilla - together in a separate bowl. Pour over the dry ingredients.

Whisk until just combined and let it sit while you get your muffin pans ready. This recipe makes a dozen and I like to use paper liners.

Have any of you tried those cute, colorful, reuseable silicon liners? What do you think of them? I'm tempted whenever I see them but haven't given into the urge to buy them. I need endorsements from some of you experienced bakers before I bite the bullet.

Fill your muffin cups about 1/3 full and let them sit while you make the cream cheese filling.

You'll need:

2 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 t. butter, softened

1/2 c. powdered sugar

1/8 t. vanilla

Beat it all together in a small bowl.

Then, scoop out small amounts, about the size of a grape.

Plop these scoops of cream cheese lusciousness in the middle of the muffin cups. Don't let them touch the sides - they need to stay in the middle.

Then use the rest of the batter to cover the filling.

They will be filled almost to the top. Put them in a 350F oven for 18 - 20 minutes. While they're baking, make the cinnamon sugar topping with:

1/4 t. cinnamon

1-1/2 t. sugar

Mix that up and you have two options for using it-

1. Sprinkle it on the tops of the muffins before you bake them. It'll bake into the muffin and make a shiny top. Or,

2. Sprinkle it on after baking, which is what I prefer. I like to see the sparkly topping.

I got the recipe from Cooking Ventures on Tasty Kitchen, my favorite web site for new recipes. If you're ever in the mood for something new - TK is like a huge, online cookbook. Members on the site submit their own, tried-and-true recipes and so far, everything I've tried has been awesome. I've got a few of my recipes there, too!

Yummy! My kids - and the friends playing over here the day I made these - went nuts over these muffins. Next time I make them I may put in some cinnamon chips - could the goodness get any better?

Make 'em for breakfast tomorrow and your families will erect a statue in your honor. Then they'll rub your feet and give you the day off.

Enjoy!